Message 333

Can you relate to any of these holiday traps….and reaction?

This is from Becoming Minimalist and although I am the farthest thing from minimalist, I could identify with most, if not all, these traps and reactions. So I thought I’d share them with you.

This is from Becoming Minimalist

When it comes to the holiday season, most of us spend this time reacting to what happens to us rather than intentionally planning for what we want.

These reactions tend to come in four distinct holiday flavors:
You react to the spending trap by buying gifts you can’t afford because everyone else is spending big, putting purchases on the credit card with a vague plan to “figure it out later.”

You react to the gift trap by scrambling to find the perfect present for everyone on your ever-growing list, stressing out about whether it’s enough, whether they’ll like it, and whether you’ll be judged for it.

You react to the time trap by saying yes to every invitation, every event, every tradition, because you don’t want to disappoint anyone, even though you’re disappointing yourself by missing the quiet moments that actually matter.

You react to the decor trap by pulling out every box from the attic because that’s what you’ve always done, spending hours decorating spaces you don’t even use, feeling obligated to maintain (or add to) a display that exhausts you instead of delights you.

But when you plan ahead for the holidays instead of reacting to expectations, everything changes.
And the best time to plan? Right now—before the chaos begins.