How Two Simple Practices Can Transform Your Christmas Chaos Into Calm?Coziness

Are you looking for a simple but deeply rewarding mindset shift to counter the chaos of the holidays? Who wouldn’t want easy, fast solutions to avoid overcommitting and simultaneously eliminate tomorrow’s stress?

Are You Feeling the Holiday Crunch Already?

This is the time of year when it feels like the world is asking us to do everything. Holiday parties, end-of-year celebrations, events, fundraisers, gift-giving, gift exchanges, travel — you name it. It’s all fun (if a little too much fun) and often leaves us with that hollow aftertaste: Why did I do that again? Why did I overcommit, overspend, overconsume, and put everyone else at the top of my list? Argh.

The cycle feels inevitable, setting us up for (failed) New Year’s resolutions and an awkward start to the new year.

But what if we flipped the script?

Instead of letting November’s avalanche carry us into January’s crash landing, we could pause for a minute to focus on two simple practices.

1. Gratitude Moments: Your Compass for the Holidays

As we move through the second half of November, take a moment to reflect — not just on what you’re grateful for, but on who and what truly matters to you. Gratitude isn’t just about counting blessings for the sake of it (though the benefits are immense and scientifically prove n). It’s about:

• Clarifying your priorities
• Reconnecting with what you love
• Making it easier to say no to what doesn’t serve you

Gratitude gives you a lens through which to see your life clearly, making it easier to discern how to spend your time and energy during the year’s busiest season.

If gratitude helps you identify what truly matters, laying the groundwork ensures you’re prepared to honor those priorities. It’s gratitude in action, taking small steps today to make tomorrow smoother and more joyful.

2. Laying the Groundwork: Gratitude in Action

If you already have a daily gratitude practice, add Laying the Groundwork to your toolbox: Spend less than 30 minutes each day doing one thing that makes tomorrow brighter or smoother. It’s probably not a “big thing,” but it sets something in motion that you’ll appreciate in the future.

One way to build this habit is to look at your calendar for the upcoming day/week/month to see if there’s any short, simple task you can do today to facilitate your future. Here’s what it looks like on the personal front:

• Making pancakes for the entire week on Sunday so that it’s easier and less stressful to get the kids to school on time during a busy week.
• Cleaning the kitchen before bedtime so you wake up with one less thing on your list and a few precious moments alone with your coffee before your house erupts.
• Ordering supplies (gifts, outfits, materials, etc.) in advance for the myriad of invitations mentioned above so that you avoid shopping, traffic, and the added expense of last-minute shipping.
• Scheduling year-end appointments to maximize your health benefits and your budget, squeezing in some self-care, and giving yourself the gift of breathing room to start 2025.

Here’s what it looks like on the professional front:

• Outlining a few posts so that if you get in a time crunch, you’re editing and refining, not starting from scratch.
• Hiring a coach or signing up for a program so that you offset earnings and start the year with momentum and a plan.
• Scheduling salon and spa visits and working out daily so you feel good on camera and in person and confidently say yes to opportunities.
• Picking the one or two processes that have been a problem all year and either delegating, automating, or eliminating them to save time and energy and improve your mental health and productivity.
• Cleaning up your physical and virtual desktops (and deciding once and for all) if you will ever read, share, or act on the 1,000 things you saved, bookmarked, or flagged.
• Writing down your 2025 financial goals to give yourself the best chance of hitting your mark. Did you know that in and of itself improves your odds by a whopping 42%?

A Stress-Free Season Starts Here

So, as you stare down a packed calendar and try to balance your work and life, ask yourself: What do you really want this season to feel like?

Take a moment to appreciate the invitations, but consider what you can say “no” to so that you make room for a full-hearted “yes” to what truly matters.

Then, do the thing right now that takes a few minutes and smooths the future — RSVP either way, ship a gift with regrets, or drop the details in your calendar and plan accordingly.

These slight shifts in gratitude, intention, and streamlining could set you up for a much more meaningful holiday season and a less chaotic start to the new year.

It’s like magic because laying the groundwork in anticipation and preparing for a smooth future feels like gratitude in action. These activities don’t just save time; they reduce emotional labor, create clarity, and boost decisiveness — all for you!

The next day, week, or month, you’ll appreciate that you already took care of the details and made the finishing touches that much easier.

Take a minute to honor your effort, give yourself a pat on the back, or high-five yourself in the mirror because when your future self is less stressed and more grateful, you’re present self is more enjoying the season and putting that additional bandwidth to good use.

Here’s how to join me:

• Follow my gratitude journey on Instagram (@KristiAndrusCoach ) as I share daily postcards reflecting on my theme and inspo for this season — travel!
• Or carve out just 5 minutes a day to pause for your own gratitude moment — whether it’s a thought, a journal entry, or a simple “thank you.”
• Or start your own mini-groundwork practice: Set aside 10–20 minutes for strategic planning. Look ahead and quickly access the low-hanging fruit. Then, pick one or two quick things today that you can do right now to put yourself in a more favorable position tomorrow.

As you know (and I can’t help repeating it), mindset and the little things make the big things seem successful and flawless. The point is not to make life look good but to make it feel good and more likely to turn out well. Let’s embrace that sentiment. Here’s to a joyful, meaningful, and stress-free season ahead!