Creating a Christmas (and life) you Really desire

How do you Really want your Christmas to look and what are you doing about it?

Christmas holidays arrive with so many emotions and assumptions and responsibilities and roles. There are things we can control (or emotions, our reactions, creating space), however there are many things out of our control during this festive time and a sizeable number of external pressures. Expectations of the day (what it ‘should’ be), strained relationships and tensions within our households and extended families, community connection and taking care of each other, wider cultural traditions and finally the overarching socio-political-ecomonic picture of the global landscape that constantly skirts around the edges of our consciousness right now. Let alone escalating heating bills and overloaded school diaries.

Phew!

So how do you manage it all? I am sure each of us have tactics for approaching the festive season. My personal favourite for sanity is going for several ‘breaths of fresh air’ in the way of brisk walks outside. I also know that sherry crops up as an emotional leaning post in many of my friends coping toolkits..

In recent years I’ve discovered a really effective, creative and heartfelt approach to Christmas that I would like to share with you. It has saved our family tensions and laid the path for a calmer, more enjoyable festive break each year, aligning what we each expect, with what we do..

In the last few years I’ve tried to bring our family values together a little more at Christmas. I’ve found a good way is to create a family manifesto. I use manifestos in my coaching and courses as a way to create a vision that encompasses core values and guiding stars. And so I decided to test it out with the kids and create a manifesto together that sings of family-centred and meaningful celebration. It is also an excuse to ask my favourite coaching question ‘What’s important?’

Our Christmas Manifesto has become our go-to way to start the holidays and a break from the school term. Its a lovely way to focus on our needs and co-create plans in a way that is inclusive and accepting - aligning what we need as individuals with our values as a family. It’s also fun and creative - think big paper, lots of colour and imagination-drawing.

Our manifesto subtly changes each year but some things remain (baking cookies to hang in the tree is a favourite with the girls, as is our Christmas Day mini panto) and this allows us to create our own festive traditions, creating a Christmas that we made together and want to remember. And that was the starting point - how do we create memories and beautiful times together with our children, Christmases that we want to look back on, that are created together, and where we are on the same page rather than clashing with our ideals and expectations.

Of course the process of getting big sheets of paper and felt tips out is always fun too. 

I hope this is useful inspiration! 

If you would like to know more about how I use manifestos in coaching courses and teams give me a call - you can send me a message or contact me via www.kateb.co.uk/appointments. You might want to explore what a 121 coaching pathway feels like and you can book a half hour discovery session. Two slots are opening up mid January for 121 coaching.

Have a wonderful Christmas! 

More tools and musings here: https://kateb.co.uk/blog
And more goodies here in the winter newsletter: https://kateb.co.uk/winternewsletter

#Christmas

#purpose

#values

#emotion 

#family