When our kids were in elementary school my husband taught our family to juggle. We didn’t take our act on the road, but we mastered the concept. There’s always at least one more object than you have hands for, and the goal is to keep them in continual motion without dropping any.
There was other juggling going on then as well—kids’ activities, volunteer work, domestic duties, family engagements, etc. I found it very challenging at times.
For some, the juggling challenge comes through other means—a promotion with new responsibilities, becoming a single parent, health issues or caring for others in need.
As I near my Medicare birthday, and observe young families with busy schedules, I’m beginning to understand the perspective of my mom who wonders how I juggle my current load. Apparently not as efficiently as I used to.
I kicked off the first Saturday in December with a holiday volunteer project and an annual Christmas party hosted by a friend. Sandwiched between was the task of making a dessert. At the last minute I changed my plan and found a new dessert recipe. I picked up the ingredients and hurriedly put it together, pulling it out of the oven just as it was time to leave.
It wasn’t until then that I realized it was supposed to cool three to six hours. In my haste I hadn’t read the recipe all the way through.
“Juggling is an illusion,” says Gary Keller. “In reality, the balls are being independently caught and thrown in rapid succession...it is actually task switching.”
For many, the holidays are a rapid succession of tasks and events that require precision skill to execute seamlessly. Most of us don’t. Here are three Timely Tips to consider throughout this busy season.
Timely Tips for juggling the holidays
DON'T COMPARE - Some people can juggle a bowling ball and knives. I don’t feel bad if that’s out of my range. Likewise, we all have a different bandwidth when it comes to holiday tasks and activities. Choose what fits your limits without comparing yourself to the one who seems to do it all.
LET IT GO - I brought my dessert still wrapped in parchment paper instead of beautifully presented on my holiday plate. Did that hamper the fun and laughter of the evening? Not at all. Decide that when a ball drops, and they will at times, you’ll have a sense of humor and be willing to let others know you’re human too. Someone might be very relieved by that.
SHOW YOURSELF (AND OTHERS) SOME GRACE - Many get stuck in the “before” mode. Before I had kids, before I went back to work, before I had surgery, before my spouse passed away, before I got older. None of us is exactly where we were a few years ago in life. Give yourself grace if you can’t or simply don’t want to do it all. Choose carefully what fits with your current values and abilities. Show others going through transitions the same grace.
The Christmas events I value most are recorded on my December calendar months before they occur. God foretold the event of Jesus’s birth hundreds of years prior to His coming. Unlike many of our best-laid plans, God’s plan never fails.
“When the fullness of time had come God sent forth His Son…” (Galatians 4:4)
Photo by Jonathan Knepper on Unsplash