Starting Early and Finding a New Way(Breathe) - Day 14 of 31 Days of Change

 Your Week Ahead: Aquarius,Saturday, 13 October 2012

It is time to get organised. You've lately been so busy reacting to new challenges and dealing with pressures, you've felt unable to draw breath and sort yourself out. You've been fudging issues, employing stop-gap solutions and counting yourself lucky just to scrape through. You've succeeded, but then you're naturally smart and resourceful. The price you've paid for making all this effort has been a loss of confidence and calm. This week, you find your feet once more and so much more will become pleasingly easy!

Weekly Horoscope from Jonathan Cainer 

For a very long time, it has been my habit to put off Christmas preparations until December arrives. I have always struggled with the commercialism of Christmas, and yet have gotten myself all sucked in at the same time. I have always felt a scrooge-like figure, right up until the festivities begin. Oh not in the giving part, I always give, and think a great deal about others, but it's the whole way Christmas has been taken over by capitalist culture; the way the meaning of Christmas for folks like me who do not have a faith, gets lost in the flurry of spending money. It has been hard to balance the idea of those left out "in the cold" at Christmas, whilst we gather inside by the fire, and close our curtains, eat far too much and spend far too much money. I have never felt I have done quite enough to prevent a mild feeling of guilt and emptiness creeping in to join us.

Anyway, it has been an unwritten rule for me, that I will not buy or do one thing in preparation before the 1st December. I used to write my cards the night we put up the Christmas Tree which was always the last Sunday before Christmas. Every year for the past few years, I have found myself a little bit stressed by the last few days, and doing everything all at once. This of course leads to sheer exhaustion by Christmas day, especially when you are working right up until the last minute.

This year I am having a change, of course as this is my month of change. With Mr S not working at the moment, it has made me think that I need to approach Christmas differently. More calmly and with much more savouring of the whole process.

Planning ahead has never really been a strong point of mine. I used to tell myself that old story about how due to my Mum having died so young, I would never make plans too far ahead and I would never make promises. Sad really. I grew up feeling that everything was so uncertain. I was more likely to do something on the spur of the moment, than plan ahead. Encouraged by our speedy, busy, have-it-now culture also, I very much tended to be last minute, impulsive and therefore more extravagant than I should have been, when buying Christmas presents. I was always living on the edge, precariously balanced, and patting myself on the back at how well I juggled and survived.

I now realise that it never had to be so stressful, and that joy can be found in the peace and quiet of Christmas preparations that are done with love and care. Not that I didn't do everything with love. Maybe the care was a bit lacking. Breakneck speed excitement doesn't always lend itself to care. However there was some skill in the survival I suppose.

So this year I am vowing to start preparing for Christmas early. In fact I have already bought a few items of food which are away at the back of the kitchen cupboard.

Lists are going to be made today.

I like to buy my Christmas Cards from charities, so won't be making home made ones; plus this is just not possible with my work schedule. Home-made presents might be something I may attempt for some folks. I also like to buy books for children or to find presents from fair trade sources or charities. I am going to be sticking to a very tight budget too of course this year. I am also wondering what else will change about my approach to Christmas this year.

I have been enjoying this series of posts about frugally preparing for Christmas. How about you? Has the C word crossed your lips yet?