Most people head into the Christmas season without much of a plan. Christmas is Jesus’ birthday – it’s supposed to be a season of joy, peace and goodwill toward men! Instead, the holidays can cause stress, family relationship issues and financial difficulty. Without a plan, you may know who to shop for, but end up time crunched and over budget. You may have good intentions of making the holiday special, but everything gets crammed into the last minute, causing stress and chaos. How can we return the JOY to Christmas?

Choosing a new family or canceling Christmas altogether,while sometimes it sounds like a good solution, is NOT the answer! We can increase the joy and decrease the stress by spending more time planning than cramming.

Take an hour or so in early to mid-October to plan out your Christmas season. What does a “Merry Christmas” look like for you? What is your focus during the holidays (giving gifts, spending time with others, celebrating Jesus)? Make a list – top priorities all the way down to those little extra touches.

Evaluate your past activities, festivities, annual gatherings and traditions. What brings you the most joy? What causes the most stress? Consider your current life circumstances – jobs, relationships, health concerns or anything else that has affected your available time and energy. How do your past activities fit with your current lifestyle and schedule? Do your activities reflect your priorities or distract from them? Don’t be afraid to cut activities that don’t match your focus. No one will miss the fruitcake!

Decide what works for you and your family! We have a finite amount of time in each day, week and holiday season. Just because the cover of a magazine has 30 homemade gift ideas does not mean that you are lazy if you buy gifts instead of making them. Having a real tree vs. an artificial tree does not make you a better person. There are so many good things in life –select the best and don’t feel guilty about the rest!

By choosing the best activities, traditions and gatherings for yourself and your family, you are recognizing that you have limited time. When you schedule, simplify and stress less, you are choosing to make Christmas more meaningful!