If you are an average American you will experience roughly 80 Christmases. Which doesn’t seem like nearly enough time for all the Burls Ives, candy canes and wassailing you could ever want. But it is the scarcity of this once-a-year event that makes it so special. Plus, there is the whole birth of the son of God who hooks you up with eternal salvation thing. (If you’re into that kinda stuff.)
With your limited number of Christmases to enjoy it is important to make the most of each one. Plus, next week when people ask you how your Christmas was, it’s fun to go Tony The Tiger on them and say that it was Grrreeat!
Let’s Do This Christmas Thang!
So don’t leave your Christmas experience to chance. Make it exactly what you imagined. At least, what you imagined based on what’s possible starting right now. Because if your perfect Christmas involves more snow, beach or family than you can whip up on a moment’s notice, write those opportunities off for another year.
Starting right now, considering the realm of the possible, answer this very simple question:
‘What would I have to do today and tomorrow to make this a really great Christmas?‘
Your answers could be things like:
- Play Games
- Watch a Christmas movie
- Go to church
- Take a nap
- Enjoy some free time
- Look at pictures or videos from Christmases past. (Like Clark Griswold, stranded in his attic, with that funny thing on his head.)
- Go for a family walk
- Light some great-smelling candles
- Enjoy a nice family dinner (#HamNight)
- Go for a drive to look at Christmas lights
- Start a fire in the fireplace (But remember to put it out with enough time to cool before Santa drops in the chute.)
- Listen to Christmas music
- Perform Christmas music
- Sing Carrols (at home or through your hood)
- Steal things from Who-ville (Only for green and furry readers with termites in their smiles)
- Zoom with distant family or friends.
- Take a family photo with everyone holidayed up.
- Watch sports
- Drink your favorite holiday drinks
- Exercise
- Eat oyster stew, roast beast or whatever your favorite traditional meal is.
- All of the above
After you decide on the building blocks of your Christmas, order the events, bake in some flexibility for the napping and free time, and then started knocking things off your Christmas list.
The Recipe For A Great Day
Through this approach, you literally write your own recipe for a great holiday. Then one by one, stir in each of the ingredients. Which enables you to spend the next 2 days enjoying a few of your favorite things. Like Julie Andrews. Only without a dangerous military regime pursuing you.
The point of this plan is to maximize the very satisfying and enjoyable feeling of recreational productivity. Which is the feeling of making the most of your free time. It should be a priority on all vacations and holidays. The result is that we finish days away from our regular work and obligations feeling both happy and accomplished.
The Greatest Gift
Remember that at Christmas, the time we spend together, making memories, and doing our favorite free things, is the greatest gift of all. Well, that and the birth of tiny little 8-pound baby Jesus, gift-wrapped in swaddling clothes and chilling in a manger. But you put all of those things together and you have one heck of a holiday gift pack.
Key Takeaway
A great holiday doesn’t happen on its own. You have to make it happen. The same holds true of any workday, schoolday, or Saturday. Envision your perfect days, then bring them to life. Do this day after day, and you will live the life you always imagined.
Merry Christmas!
*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.
+If you like this type of message you can find more stuff like this in my book, What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? from Ripples Media.
Adam Albrecht Blog 