Monday, 12/2/24: Talking about December planning

Happy Monday!

It’s a new week, which means it’s time for your next Monday motivation newsletter.

Read on below for some steps to a happier Monday and some positive thoughts to get your week started.

Three Steps to a Happier Monday

Each newsletter starts with three prompts to inspire gratitude and simple intention setting. Take a moment and jot down answers to these three questions. To give an example, I share my answers below.  

Step 1: What are three things I appreciated from the weekend? 

Step 2: What is one thing I can be excited about today?

Step 3: What is my intention for this week? 

GRATITUDE: From my weekend, I am thankful for having fun Christmas gift shopping Friday, for not having to walk too far during weekend errands (soo cold out!) and for my festive manicure. 

TODAY: Today, I’m most excited to have some quiet time this morning sitting near the Christmas tree. 

INTENTION: My intention this week is to begin my daily December activities. 

Okay, your turn! And if you want to share your three steps, I am all ears. 🙂

Meaningful Musings: December Goals & Intentions

Can you believe it is already December?! The last month of the year! 

I feel like 2024 has flown by. I can vividly remember it being last December, when I was freshly engaged to Matt and starting to think about a wedding, while also soaking up the magic of the season. 

After we selected our January 3 wedding date, I remember thinking to myself, “I wonder what what next December will be like, when we’ll be just weeks out from our date and in the midst of the holiday season!” 

I may have underestimated what it would be like… 🙂

I’ve loved the wedding planning process (wrote more about that here!), but I would be lying if I said this past month has been easy. Entering the final stretch of wedding planning, I’m learning that I am a much better starter than finisher (should’ve guessed that with my love of Mondays!). I’m finding the little details and the last to-dos to be stressful. I don’t love that for every one thing I check off my list, three more things are added. Making progress? Being efficient? Not really sure.  

Then, when I was in church yesterday, I was reminded that Dec. 1 marked the first Sunday of Advent. Advent – like Lent – is a liturgical season in the church that focuses on preparing for a major celebration. Advent occurs the four weeks leading up to Dec. 25. Many celebrate with fun Advent calendars that count down the days or lighting Advent wreaths to mark the passing of weeks. No matter the practice, the themes of hope-filled anticipation and preparation are strong.

As I reflected on the season of Advent, I realized it was quite similar to the season of engagement. So much anticipation! So much preparation! 

Last week, I was having a hard time wrapping my mind around how I wanted to approach December. Whenever I thought about the month ahead, my mind drifted to my mounting to-do list and I would give up before I even started.

But… I think there is a lesson I can take from the practice of Advent. 

Setting aside the religious aspect, I really appreciate the idea of a dedicated season of preparation before a celebration. It’s a cue to act differently, make preparations and recognize that something big is coming. 

I also think there is a bigger purpose too: this time of year, with the holiday festivities and lights and parties to attend and presents to wrap, it’s easy to forget the season has a bigger meaning (whatever that meaning may be to YOU, from religious to magical to connection with friends and family and so on). The four-week season of Advent can help re-direct and remind us of the reason for the season.

Similar to being engaged: it’s all too easy to get caught up in the little details of wedding planning and lose sight of what we are preparing for… the start of a marriage. 

Inspired by this, I’m reframing this time to a “little Advent” of wedding planning. Even just acknowledging that these next four weeks are a distinct season of preparation makes me feel better! I know I have to act differently, think differently and work harder to remind myself of the bigger reason for all this preparation. 

It doesn’t take away the stress. However, these next four weeks will pass one way or another, and my mindset is up to me. I hope that with this framing I’m able to anchor in the hope and anticipation instead of the overwhelm. We’ll see how it goes! 

I’m thankful I had this reflection ahead of doing the ritual of a monthly planning sessions, where I take a moment to reflect on the month ahead, what I have coming up, and how I’d like to spend my time. 

If you are looking for a Monday morning activity, giving this a try. Refill your favorite holiday mug and ask yourself the following. Can’t wait to hear about what you are looking forward to most this December! 

December 2024 Goals & Intentions 

What do I love about the month of December?

• The obvious… Christmas and the festivity of the holiday season!  
• I love being in Chicago during the holidays. Christmastime in the city is magical.
• I also love being home for the holidays and spending time with family. 

What’s unique about this December?

• The obvious one that I’ve already written about above… final stretch of wedding planning!
• Have some fun holiday plans with friends I’m looking forward to.
• Also looking forward to time in Indianapolis with Matt’s family in mid-December and then being home in Florida at the end of the month!

December 2024 Intentions

• Re-listen to Calm Christmas and Happy New Year. This is becoming an annual tradition for me… it has a great message of defining what is most special to you and helps you reflect on going about the season in a calm, but meaningful, way.
• One festive activity and one wedding planning item a day. Something that works well for me is breaking things down into smaller steps. I’d rather do something small every day than do a long stretch of something on one day.
  • So, in this season of preparation, we are taking my “Wedding Wednesday” approach up a notch. Each day this month, I’m going to do one wedding-related task (or maybe more than 1, depending on bandwidth). Knowing I have this time dedicated to the wedding every day will actually help me relax more and not feel like I need to be cramming tasks haphazardly into any free moment. One thing a day is fine!
  • Similarly, I don’t want to get to the end of the holiday season and feel like I haven’t enjoyed my favorite activities. Doing one festive thing a day helps me stretch this wonderful time a bit. Some of the festive activities will be big ones, like going to see the big tree downtown or a holiday dinner with friends, but most of them will be small, everyday things like getting a festive coffee, watching a Christmas movie or going on a walk to look at decorations.
  • And a key component is that I plan on keeping a running list of the daily things I do for both (wedding & festive) to jog my memory and help me see all the great things happening this month. 
• Continue to stay off social media. It’s working for me right now in this busy season!!

From the archives: December 2023 | December 2022

Picture of the Week

That’s all for today! I hope you found something in today’s newsletter that sparked motivation, made you smile or inspired a positive Monday thought. Don’t underestimate the power of starting small… a fulfilling week starts with just one fulfilling day. You’ve got this! 

Let’s make it a great Monday!
Megan