10 Ways To Beat Overwhelm And Stay Grateful

This is definitely one of my favourite weeks of the year. I’m a sucker for American Thanksgiving (and, yes - I’m a PROUD Canadian). It’s the gateway to the holiday season. In fact I have the stockings hung already, and the tree will be going up in a few days. Not to mention we already had the Santa Claus parade in Toronto, and our first snowfall of the season. So… bring on Christmas baby, and bring on the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. 

Although this can be the best time of year, it can also be super stressful and overwhelming. We become keenly aware that the end of the year is nearing, and we have not accomplished any OR all of our goals for the year. And, It’s easy to run ragged trying to please everyone, which accomplishes nothing, and leaves us stressed out. Not to mention getting together with family… need I say more?

To help you beat the overwhelm and stay grateful I have compiled a list of ten things that are guartanteed to help you not only get through the end of the year, but enjoy yourself. 

Don’t leave things to the last minute… sounds obvious but are you doing it? Set ten minutes aside each morning to make a list of what has to be done. Do the hardest things first!

Accept what you cannot do and PRIORITIZE what matters most… easier said than done I know. But make a list of what really needs to happen, and get that done first. You might find that everything on the list didn’t actually need to happen. 

Give yourself permission to say ‘NO’… guess what? You don’t have to go to every function, holiday party or even buy everyone you know a gift this year. Shocking isn’t it! Ask yourself what what is important and feels right, and do that. 

Take a breather and allow yourself time to relax… I know this this is not super easy for everyone, but if you take a few minutes everyday to just get quiet - pray, meditate, light a candle or go make a snow angel. Don’t worry about the small stuff. It’s all small stuff anyways. 

Don’t be afraid to ask for help… with the cooking, cleaning, and even at work. Surely someone you know is wasting a bunch of time on social media and can lend you a hand. Just ask. 

Forgive yourself and others… this can be the hardest time of year, and comes with the most drama. Is it time you finally let go of some of the past hurt - it’s only hurting you. When you forgive yourself it becomes easier to forgive others. 

Make it a point to be grateful… write a card to a friend who needs you, or make a list of the people you really want to see, and tell them how much you love them. You’ll feel better instantly, and they probably need to be reminded that they are loved. 

Review what worked this year… and what didn’t. Be honest with yourself about what you were hoping would happen, and then be intentional about not repeating that again next year. 

Get intentional about how you want your life to look in 2017… 

Maybe you started this year off with the greatest of intentions, but lost your way a few weeks in. Life kicked in, and all of the sudden everything got pushed to the back burner. There is still time to redeem what is left of this year, and to set yourself up to accomplish great things in 2017. You don’t have to go through the rest of the year thinking about the “could haves” and the “should haves”. Accomplishing your goals for 2017 just got way easier! I’d love to share with you how you can live on purpose in 2017 - PRESS PLAY ... 

Being Grateful Saved My Life

I’ve never been one to write a gratitude journal, even though it was insanely popular when Oprah was doing it. And, the time I tried to read ‘One Thousand Gifts’ by Ann Voscamp, I got a chapter in and realized I was in way over my head. It’s not that I don’t believe in being grateful. In fact I completely believe in being grateful. The only problem is that I have not always shown a whole lot of gratitude.

Let me ask you, how grateful are you?

There was a time in my life when I believed it was enough to say thanks for what I have, but that I also had the ability to go out and get what I want. I was raised to be an independent woman. And, although it served me well in many areas, it robbed me of my need for what others had to offer. Worst of all, I was never satisfied with what I had, and therefore not very grateful. 

Maybe you can relate. Surely, I am not the only one. 

The thing about being independent is that we learn to rely fully on our capabilities, and what we can provide for ourselves. It’s ok to go without, when we know that we are able to come up with what we need at a later date. Unfortunately, it leads to not being able to ask for help when we really need it. 

A few years ago, I embarked on a journey of starting my own business. It was risky, but I was willing to do it. Since then, I have experienced some serious ups and downs along the way. My goals were first and foremost and I desperately wanted to succeed. I know that doesn’t sound like a problem, but it was, and here’s why.. I got so caught up in what I wanted that I forgot to be grateful for what had already happened. 

My desire to get ahead eclipsed anything that I had achieved, or what God had already done. I had totally forgotten to be thankful for even the smallest wins. I basically came to the end of myself one day when I finally realized that there was no possible way of doing this one my own. My body had broken down, I was a wreck emotionally and weary from the process of trying to do it all myself. 

I needed God, and I needed to be grateful for the what He has already done in my life. It was during that time when I finally realized that I am not alone. God does want me to succeed, but he is more concerned with our relationship. He desires my worship (gratitude) over anything else. It’s ultimately all about him, and not really about me at all. 

Perhaps you find yourself in that place as well. You are ready to move forward but find it difficult to be thankful for the small things. Trust seems to elude you. Can I encourage you today to start seeing every small win as something greater, and then be thankful for it. Take time to celebrate, to worship God and to count every blessing that comes your way. It’s ok if things don’t happen in the speed you think they should happen. At the end of day, we are only given one opportunity to really make this life count, and I want to be thankful for it. 

Together We Are Better ... (and happy Canadian Thanksgiving)!