INSIDE: Who are you going to see when this Christmas? And what are you going to do when you’re together? It’s time to plan a family Christmas – and today’s 30 Days to a Stress-Free Christmas challenge is going to show you how. Are you ready to make the most of Christmas this year? Let’s do this!
Welcome back to the 30 Days to a Stress-Free Christmas Challenge!
So, did you enjoy yesterday’s challenge? What did you come up with when thinking about what Christmas means to you? Have you thought of a few things you want to focus on this year?
Hopefully, yesterday’s exercise has helped you to work out which aspects of Christmas matter the most and who you want to see too because today’s challenge is all about finalising arrangements with friends and family. It’s time to figure out who you’re going to see when!
Challenge #18: Plan a family Christmas…
Finalise when you’re seeing friends and family this Christmas…
The Christmas break is only three days. If you’re lucky, you might get a few days off in between Christmas and New Year. But not everyone does. It’s important to work out who you want to spend time with most and when you’re going to see them. And that’s what we’re going to do today. It’s time to plan a family Christmas!
Spend the next few days mulling over who you want to see when and start finalising your arrangements with everyone. Look at when you are free. Ask everyone what their plans are and prioritise who you want to see first.
Decide who you’re going to see when and get firm arrangements for your diary. That way not only will you know when is best to hand out presents, you’ll know what you need to buy in terms of food and drink too.
Going away this Christmas?
If you’re going away this Christmas or you have a long way to travel to see relatives, it’s highly likely you’ve already finalised who you’re seeing when. If that’s the case, congratulations! Your challenge for today instead is to start thinking about what you need to do to get ready for your travels.
Need a little help? Check out Challenge #8 which shows you how to create a packing list and get started on your packing.
A friendly word of family Christmas advice…
Deciding how to spend your time and where you’ll be over the Christmas break can be a pretty stressful task. It’s easy to feel pulled every which way trying to please everyone – especially if family relations are strained, you have a blended family or you have in-laws that are particularly demanding of your time.
If you feel yourself starting to get stressed over it and struggling to know what to do for the best, pause for a moment. Take a step back, breathe and try to not let everyone else’s demands get to you. Just because someone is insisting you be somewhere on a particular day doesn’t mean you have to do it!
It’s impossible to please everyone and if it’s just going to stress you out, ask yourself if it’s really worth it. Ask what’s best for your own little family unit. If it doesn’t fit with what you want to do, you don’t have to do it.
Try to find some common ground and compromise if you need to. Whatever you do, don’t make your own Christmas a nightmare just so it can be ‘perfect’ for someone else.
If you’re really struggling, try reading Sarah Knight’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F**k. Yes, the language is a little fresh so I warn you now, but if you don’t mind that, there is an entire chapter dedicated to Christmas and some great advice on how to handle those difficult Christmas-related situations. It really is worth a read and will help if you find managing family relationships at Christmas a struggle.
Planning a family Christmas…
Whatever you decide to do this Christmas, try to keep your eye on the bigger picture. Remember that a great Christmas isn’t determined by the number of presents under the tree. It’s about spending time with the ones you love. So start finalising those arrangements today!
That’s it for today!
I’ll be back tomorrow with challenge #19 of 30 Days to a Stress-Free Christmas challenge. In the meantime, have fun deciding who you’re going to see when! And be sure to check out the rest of the posts for this challenge if you haven’t done so already too!
- Day 1: Let’s Get Your Christmas Planning Started!
- Day 2: What Gifts to Buy?
- Day 3: Get Organised for Christmas.
- Day 4: Write Out Your Christmas Budget.
- Day 5: Take a Break and Have a Well-Earned Rest!
- Day 6: Declutter Your Child’s Bedroom.
- Day 7: Winter Prep Your House and Car.
- Day 8: Start a Packing List.
- Day 9: Do Your Christmas Decorations on a Budget.
- Day 10: Spend Money on Experiences Instead of Things.
- Day 11: Finalise Your Christmas Gift List.
- Day 12: Take a Break and Have a Well-Earned Rest!
- Day 13: Create a Stockpile of Last-Minute Christmas Gifts.
- Day 14: Decide Whether You’ll Send Christmas Cards.
- Day 15: Start Your Christmas Shopping Early.
- Day 16: Wrap Your Christmas Presents as You Go.
- Day 17: Ask What Christmas Means to You.
That’s it for this post! What’s in your plan for a family Christmas this year? Who are you seeing when? Let me know in the comments!
Until next time…
P.S. Get all of the Christmas challenges by email!
Want a little more accountability? Don’t forget that you can sign up to receive each challenge by email! Every day for the next 30 days I’ll land in your inbox with the next Christmas challenge. A great way to remind you to take action, you’ll also receive my FREE Ultimate Christmas Planning Checklist too!
In it, you’ll find checklists for your Christmas budget, Christmas shopping, meal planning and prepping, family traditions, planning your travel and so much more. With every Christmas planning step you can possibly think of listed, no stone will be left unturned and nothing will be forgotten!
Simply enter your email address below and I’ll send it to you right away along with the first challenge!
