***Find Time to Celebrate Holidays Comfortably: 7 Timely Tips

Time management tips couldn’t be more important than right now - just in time for the holiday season! How would you like to transform the stressful parts of holiday get-togethers into truly celebratory occasions for yourself? Well, you can do it … and you can start right now by creating a holiday plan that’s geared to your comfort zone. The first thing you’ll need to do is get familiar with your very own comfort zone. I’ll walk you through it, step-by-step, below. Basically, you’ll want to look back at other holidays and highlight the things that either added to or detracted from the festivities for you. Then, with that information in hand, you’ll relax, breathe deeply, and look ahead. This is your chance to fashion what will be an optimal holiday experience for you! So let’s start by exploring the details, using the following 7 Timely Tips. In the end, you’ll be able to work from your comfort zone and make these upcoming holiday celebrations into times to truly treasure. Identify Your Holiday Comfort Zone The key to "comfort zone" celebrating lies in focusing only on things that are within your control. Your power lies in your ability to meet your own needs. When your comfort zone is your base of operations, you are able to savor your moments and to stretch without straining. From your comfort zone, you can thoroughly enjoy those around you. Not only that, but you’ll find that you can much more easily engage in creative problem solving on the spot. That’s a priceless skill to have in the midst of the holiday bustle! Here are your 7 Timely Tips for Getting to Your Holiday Comfort Zone 1. Relax and think back. Call up memories of a past celebration. How did you feel as it approached? What did you like most? Least? How did your feelings evolve over time? 2. Describe your comfort zone. What makes a situation work well for you? Make a list and be as specific, concrete and detailed as you can. This will give you an overview of your comfort zone that may surprise you! 3. Spot the stressors. What situations have pushed you out of your comfort zone. Record specific information like: Where were you? What happened? When and how did you feel out of control of the situation? How was this situation part of a larger pattern of events? What was at stake? 4. Conduct an energy check. Now let’s tap into your power to transform your energy. Turn your attention to the actual choices you made. What responses to specific situations energized you? Which choices depleted you? What choices moved you closer to your comfort zone and what moved you away? 5. Chart out future challenges. Jot down a phrase or two about challenges you are likely to encounter. Imagine looking down on the scene from a friendly, slightly detached vantage point. What encouragement and suggestions could you offer yourself in this situation? 6. Scan the big picture. You’ve given yourself an overview of two sets of circumstances: those that are outside of your control and those within it. What insights have come to you? Are there any patterns that you notice? What are you learning about how your choices contribute to your feelings about the holidays? 7. Locate your oasis. Now close your eyes, take a deep breath, and envision your holiday comfort zone. Notice where you are. Who is with you? What are you doing? It lies within your power to make time choices that maximize the time you spend in your comfort zone as much as possible. When you make "contentment without resentment" your mantra as you plan for the holidays, you bring more flexibility and openness to demanding situations. So what will be your first step to creating a comfortable holiday? Well, here’s one idea for getting started. Sign up for our free gift, "The New Finding Time Boundary Template: 9 Simple, Sequential Steps to Find More Time and Recharge Your Energy!" at http://optimize.thetimefinder.com/templatesg/ This time template will help you move beyond overwhelm, disappointment, and frustration. Using a workbook format, with room to record your answers, you will discover that 24 hours really are enough! Offered by Paula Eder, Ph.D., The Time Finder Expert.