Just because you’re a writer doesn’t mean you get a pass over the holidays. Many writers are contract-bound by December and early January deadlines, while other writers have self-imposed deadlines to keep their careers moving. The late arrival of Thanksgiving has also put a monkey wrench into many of our plans. I don’t know about you, but I just can’t get in the mood — or find the time — for Christmas preparations before Thanksgiving is over.
I’ve been married 29 years. During this time, I have become less insecure and eager to impress everyone by how much I am able to accomplish. As a result, I’ve changed many of my Christmas activities to help me save time and increase my enjoyment of the celebration.
Now, I know the level of enjoyment for each person is different, so if you love any or all of the activities on this list, go for it! Here are my changes:
1.) I acknowledge all of my clients at Christmas because I enjoy doing so, but I have otherwise cut my Christmas card list to the bare minimum. For instance, the first year I was married, I sent a card to each and every person we invited to the wedding. No more.
2.) I have given up on writing a Christmas newsletter. I figure if you want to know about my summer vacation, you can call or email me.
3.) I no longer bake cookies, prepare baklava, or make fudge.
4.) I stopped buying Christmas gifts in July. This saves me the frustration of storing gifts and then having to hunt for them later. Now I just buy them in December and they go straight from the shopping bag to under the tree — with a small detour to be wrapped.
I do:
1.) Stay in touch with God.
2.) Plan to get the tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving.
3.) Schedule time to shop for gifts I hope everyone will enjoy.
4.) Cook a special Christmas dinner.
5.) Attend parties.
6.) Spend time with the people who mean the most to me.
7.) Sleep.
8.) Take my car in for state inspection. (Okay, I have to do this one.)
It took me awhile to decide what to keep and what to eliminate around this time, but making a few hard calls has helped me to stay cheerful while maintaining a productive business and calm personal life. What better way to have a merry Christmas?
Your turn:
What is your favorite Christmas tradition?
What, if anything, have you eliminated to help you keep your sanity during the holidays?
