Balance, Part 5 (Day 139)

Christmas is the perfect time to talk about balance because it's the one time of the year we all go a little wacky. I'm sure you have your own story you could relate about hosting Christmas (the turkey burned, the oven stopped working, my in-laws were a whole week earlier than I expected them!). We all know how hard it is to maintain any real balance during the Christmas season and so most of us throw it out the window entirely.

Real, healthy balance is about keeping your priorities taken care of while also maintaining your sanity. I'm here to tell you that it's totally possible during Christmas. What's the key? Knowing your priorities. In the words of Albert Einstein: "The important thing is to keep the important thing, the important thing."

For example:

Between three businesses, writing a book, managing my husband's health, and being a social 23-year-old girl, I'm busy. My calendar was scheduled all the way up to Christmas before the turkey was cooked on Thanksgiving; which means December 1st wasn't "the start of Christmas" for me this year. It was just December 1st. I had three appointments, two customer emergencies came up, I wrote 2,000 words in my book, and I started planning January. December 1st was totally characteristic of my entire month so far (and I'm loving every minute of it!).

This morning I agreed to host Christmas for the very first time and as soon as I got off the phone with my mother in law, I heard (figurative) plates crashing. Coming up with the menu plan, getting the house all festive, even coordinating who's bringing what dish: no problem! I was born to be a hostess! But I also know that when my schedule is packed and it's short notice, there's that much more potential for things to go wrong and challenge my sanity. My priority for Christmas is to enjoy family time and create good memories, so this year my family is eating Chinese takeout for Christmas despite my inner perfectionist's protests.

Balance.

It's the small space between burning up and hurtling into the darkness. It's getting plates in the air and knowing when to let a few of them fall. Sometimes it's having your schedule down to the minute, and sometimes it's throwing the schedule out the window. It's keeping yourself sane and your priorities straight - and it's what life is all about.