Unbelievable! Christmas is two weeks from today and I’m really not sure where the time has gone. I’ve been shopping on numerous occasions…almost daily but I’m having a really hard time committing to gifts this year. My Christmas decorations are halfway complete. I haven’t baked one…NOT ONE…Christmas cookie yet. Oh Mylanta!!

I mentioned to you before that I’m quite obsessive this time of year. I LOVE Christmas!  EVERYTHING about Christmas! From the true meaning of the season and the nativity to the carols and the holly…right down to the burnt out bulb on the string of lights that I should’ve thrown away last year.

So what happened this year?? TIMING! And for me timing is everything.  That’s the thing about being an UNORGANIZED CONTROL FREAK once you get off track and things don’t go the way YOU think they should…well it completely turns your world upside down! Dramatic…yes…end of the world…no…do I think so…YES!

OH and by the way…I am a self-diagnosed unorganized control freak. I’m not even sure if there is such a thing. I guess I would classify this as a list maker who never really follows through.  Or a micro-manager on steroids. I think my son hit the nail on the head.

“I think it’d be someone that makes sure everyone else is on track and doing what they need to but not focusing on their task at hand.” – Nicolas

I guess it’s mostly about priority in a sense.  To be honest I most certainly have a problem prioritizing.  Don’t get me wrong…intellectually I know what’s most important; but I tend to let my emotions delegate the order in which I perform tasks…don’t we all?

Anyways back to TIMING…when I realized all of my Christmas decorations were in a storeroom in Florida that sent me into a tizzy because I couldn’t get my tree up and the outdoor decorations out BEFORE Thanksgiving.  I mean if I don’t have my tree up WHEN I want it up Christmas is ruined right?

Okay…now that I’ve read that…it sounds so petty. Why is it that I can go ALL yearlong living the “glass is half full” to “the glass is completely empty” just because I had to push back my decorating a few days?  And just to give you a clearer picture to the extent of my pettiness…my daughter made the trip from Florida to bring me my Christmas tubs.  Yes 554.2 miles…8 hours & 52 minutes.

So what I’ve learned over these last few weeks is that I really need to put things into a healthier perspective. Calming the chaos…so to speak. The thing is rather than freaking out over the fact that my shopping is nowhere near finished. My outdoor decorations are still snug in the same Christmas tub they made the trip from Florida in. And I haven’t baked anything…I NEED to focus on my BEAUTIFUL Christmas tree and the spirit of the season.

Everything will fall into place…it ALWAYS does.

But in the meantime…for those of you who “suffer” from the same “ailment” as I do…here are a few tips to help calm the chaos during this Christmas season:

• Breathe. So simple, and yet so effective.
• Practice Grace. Give yourself and everyone else some grace. Sometimes it’s easier to give others grace and patience but give yourself grace and love and permission to live life according to your own priorities.
• Place limitations. Limit yourself and your family’s activities to what is reasonable and joyful to you. No one can do it all and stay sane, it’s okay to limit ourselves to what’s most important.
• Choose nutritional foods. ‘Tis the season for cookies, candy, and cocktails and it’s perfectly acceptable to indulge and enjoy.
• Go outdoors. Take a walk and enjoy nature.
• Rest easy. Nap. Sleep.
• Live in the present. Savor each moment and live life fully.

Just a few simple ways to calm your chaos. And if those don’t work…Turn on the Christmas music, crank up the volume, maybe grab a glass of wine, and have fun.  After all, Tis’ The Season To Be Jolly!