Are you excited about the upcoming holiday season?

Crisp, cool (or downright freezing cold!) nights. Hayrides. Hot cocoa. Kids singing carols. Family meals. Decorating the Christmas tree. Opening presents.

I love it all so much. And yet…

As the kids get older and have more and more of their own events and activities, our holidays are getting more and more rushed.

Last December we had six – yes, six!! — concerts, plays, and recitals. And only two of my four kids were in school. It’s only going to get crazier.

And a whole lot more stressful, if we let it.

So how do we enjoy the holidays and the end of the year with quality family time — and even set aside time for meditating or reflecting on our blessings and actually being thankful — when everything around us is pushing us to go non-stop for almost two months?

How do we dodge the toxic holiday stress that seems to lurk around every corner this time of the year?

Here’s what we do –

#1 Tell Your Time Where to Go

Just like you tell your money where to go by making a budget, tell your time where to go before other people do it for you.

Have you seen this Seven Big Rocks illustration of Steven Covey’s principle for prioritizing the important things in life?   [Read more…]