Episode #370 – Find your Holiday Sweet Spot – Where Enough is Truly Enough

This is episode 370 of the Brilliant Balance podcast: Find Your Holiday Sweet Spot Where Enough Is Truly Enough. Here we are, already knee-deep in the holiday season. From the time I record an episode saying, “Hey, it’s time to start planning,” to the time I record an episode saying, “It’s all over,” it feels like a minute has passed—every single year.

This is the seventh year of this podcast—or, I guess, we’ve completed seven years, so we’re entering the eighth. It’s just never going to change, right? It’s like we’re in some sort of time warp during this season. And all of it can just be a lot. I mean, everything feels so extra this time of year, and I think it leads to what I call holiday hangovers of all kinds.

I’m going to get into those today. I know I do this, and I think a lot of us crave the simplicity of a more stripped-down approach to the holidays. But it almost feels prohibited or forbidden somehow. You’ve probably heard of the tradition in Iceland—I am so in love with this tradition. For the past year or two, it’s been all over my Instagram feed. In Iceland, on December 24th each year, people give each other books. That’s it. They give each other books, unwrap them on Christmas Eve, and read them cozied up by a fire with hot chocolate. It’s all part of the tradition. They call it the Christmas Book Flood. Now, it has a translation that I cannot pronounce, but it translates as Christmas Book Flood.

I can’t even explain how much I love this. It’s just so simple and perfectly aligned with one of my passions since I’m such a reader. But it’s the simplicity of it, the beauty of it. It’s like hearing the acoustic version of a song you love and realizing it’s even more beautiful because all the extra is stripped away.

There’s something about envisioning a holiday as the acoustic version that is so appealing to me. But we get so afraid of letting someone down or missing out on something that we don’t simplify.

I have to say this because it’s true—I’m all for the grand gesture. We took our kids to New York City for Christmas a couple of years ago. It’s an experience we will never forget. It was fantastic, right in the heart of the holiday season. That is not the simplest tradition, but I love the beauty of keeping things simple. And it makes January so much easier when you’re not dealing with the aftermath of all the extra.

It’s worth thinking about why we do this excess. There are several reasons, and you’ll probably think of more. Sometimes, yes, we do it out of love for our people. We want to love them big, and that means giving them all the things. Sometimes there’s a purity in our desire to do it all. It’s driven by an intentionality to create something truly special for the people we love. But sometimes it veers into FOMO.

Tradition is another factor. I don’t know about you, but my family has a million traditions. Sometimes we uphold them out of a deep sense of respect, love, or nostalgia. But other times, it feels like an obligation. Then we’re just performing the tradition rather than actually celebrating it.

Another influence is the power of suggestion. It might be about keeping up with what we see in stores or on social media. Take Elf on the Shelf, for example. When I first heard of it, the elf just moved from one spot to another. Now these elves could have their own YouTube channel with the tricks they pull. It’s astonishing and reflective of how traditions have become overblown.

This kind of excess crosses many aspects of how we celebrate—decorations, extravagant gifts, elaborate parties. All of this creates holiday hangovers we don’t really want. Let’s focus on finding the acoustic version of the holiday. Simplify food and drink, gifting, and scheduling.

Food and drink are areas where literal hangovers can happen. Mistakes like skipping real meals and overindulging on snacks and cocktails lead to excess. Keeping things special but not excessive is key.

For gifting, having a plan makes all the difference. I use a spreadsheet to track ideas, spending, and the status of each gift. It helps me avoid overspending and clutter while staying organized.

Clutter is another area of excess. Consider donating or reselling items to make room for new things. Focus on giving experiences or consumable gifts instead of items that create clutter.

Finally, scheduling hangovers happen when we overbook ourselves. Decide what truly matters, and commit to a pace that works for your family. Spreading events out on a calendar helps avoid cramming and exhaustion. Protecting margin in your schedule is crucial for enjoying the season.

Simplifying decorations can also help. Stripping out the extra while focusing on the essence of the holiday protects its magic and beauty without the aftermath.

I hope this episode inspires you to simplify in a way that works for you. I’d love to hear your ideas, so share them with me on Instagram or DM me. Thank you for tuning in during this busy season.