Surviving Christmas

I love the holiday season.

First you have Thanksgiving. TURKEY and thankfulness and then a dose of shopping the next day, can't get much better than that!

Then you have CHRISTMAS. My favorite holiday EVER! Decorations and lights and smiles and giving and cookies and stockings and most of all CELEBRATING the birth of our Saviour! Peace on Earth, that is what was given to us that day. Not that the whole world was peaceful... but that Jesus was the epitome of peace. He brought the capability of having true, everlasting peace.

But another thing comes with the holidays.

BUSYNESS.

Jam packed schedules.
Presents to buy.
Cookies to make.
Parties to attend.
Decorations to put up.
Traditions to make and hold on to.

So... much... to do.

And as a writer, it's so hard to know how to manage it all and still get a few words in.

Here are my tips:

1.) Unless you are on deadline-- give yourself some wiggle room. Instead of 1,000 words a day, shoot for maybe 500. Or instead of writing 5 days a week... go down to three. Your story will still be there on December 26th. I promise.

2.) Choose wisely. We can't do EVERYTHING. So make sure what you do choose, is the most important stuff. Maybe instead of ten different kind of cookies... you only make five. Instead of elaborately wrapping each present with a monstrous bow-- get those stick on ones like I do. Or better yet, use the people in the mall that wrap your presents for you. We actually have a church in the mall near us who has volunteers that will do free gift wrapping for you!

3.) Double-Dip. You know that shopping trip you're taking on Saturday? Well, take your laptop along. just happen to stop by Starbucks or Panera around lunch time and get a quick hour of writing in. You would have wasted it at drooling over that sweater at Macy's you can't afford anyway.

4.) HOUSE CLEANER. Your Christmas present to yourself-- buy a "clean" house in the form of someone to come in and clean it for you! And while they are there, instead of being on your knees in front of the toilet scrubbing your heart out, you'll be pouring your heart out onto paper instead.

5.) Sleep. While this may seem like an oxymoron, most of us, when we are super busy, get a lot less sleep. And when we sleep less, we're less productive. When we are less productive, we get less done. When we are getting less done, we have more to do. When we have more to do, we are super busy. When we are super busy, we get less sleep.... see how this cycle goes? Prioritize getting a good nights rest. You'll thank me for it!

Discussion: How much writing do you usually get done the month of December?

(Photo from www.freedigitalphotos.com)

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Krista is a follower of Jesus, a wife, a mother, and author of Sandwich, With a Side of Romance . She blogs about finding JOY in the journey of LIFE at http://www.kristaphillips.com. She is represented by the fab agent, Rachelle Gardner.