Beat Holiday Chaos: 4 Ideas for Staying Focused

Less than a week until Thanksgiving … just over a month until Christmas.  Perhaps your calendar looks a little bit like mine … c.r.a.z.y.

But, before the mayhem begins, I’d like to share with you four ideas for staying focused on what really matters during this holiday season.

Read the Gospel of Luke during December.  There are 24 chapters so reading a chapter a day takes you through the life of Christ before we celebrate His birth.

Involve your family in the decisions.  Ask each member to choose one thing that really matters to him or her, from viewing holiday lights to attending a Christmas Eve service, and put those things on the calendar first.

Do only one thing each day.   This one is tough … but it will help you keep your sanity in the midst of parties and activities and chaos.  Say yes to only one activity or event outside your home each day.   Don’t feel obligated to do more!   It’s absolutely okay to say, “We are really trying to keep our calendar manageable so we can make the most of this season as a family.”

Celebrate Advent.  Perhaps your church tradition does not involve this celebration but it can be a beautiful way to refocus ourselves and our families each week on the deeper meaning and message of the Birth of Christ.

How do you stay focused as a family during the crazy seasons of life {and especially during the holidays!}?