Merry Christmas, friends!

I love the holiday season. A LOT. Possibly too much 😉

During the Christmas season, I’m constantly baking cookies, wrapping presents, decorating trees…etc. I’m such a “Christmas Bug” (as my mom calls me) that I can barely stand to tear myself away from the magic of the holidays and…you know…write.

And guess what?

It’s okay.

Entering into the holiday season, I give myself permission to not write.

You know why?

It’s because I LOVE writing. Love it!! I don’t want to turn it into something stressful or come to dread it because I’d really rather be Christmas-ing. So instead of locking myself up in my writing cave all throughout the holiday season, I plan ahead.

I stay diligent throughout the year, make sure to meet my deadlines (or come in early, if at all possible!) so that I’m well ahead of the game come Christmastime.

But if you haven’t planned ahead—if you’re finding yourself swamped in the middle of the holiday muddle—there are a couple of things you can do to make things less stressful.

#1. Plan it out

Getting those last 25k words of your novel written before the first of the year might seem like an insurmountable task…but grab a calculator and pull out your calendar.  Say you write 1000 words an hour—if you can get up early or stay up late, you can conquer that word count by writing just over two hours a day. Done!

#2. Hello, Alarm Clock

Sure, waking up early can be…well…not-so-fun, but getting up early to write certainly beats missing out on Christmas shopping or cookie baking later in the day! Be diligent about the first and last hours of your day—do you really need to spend that much time scrolling Instagram in the morning? Maybe you can put your DVR to use, cut out an hour of TV time, and get some words on the page instead. Once the holidays are over, you can get yourself caught up on that guilty-pleasure show.

#3. DON’T Over-Commit

Sure, we all wish we could do ALL THE THINGS…but we can’t, no matter how desperately we wish otherwise. Instead of finding yourself drowning in commitment, take a few moments to consider each opportunity before you say yes. Keep time open in your schedule for last-minute holiday fun. You never know what will come up, so make an effort to plan ahead. The worst that could happen is that you end up with some spare time on your hands—and how could that be a bad thing?!

#4. HELP!

If you are already drowning in encroaching deadlines or a sea of over-commitment…don’t be afraid to ask for help. So often we get wrapped up in trying to do everything on our own. It’s good to be responsible, but sometimes it’s OKAY to take a step back and ask a friend to fill in for you. Maybe they can’t help you reach your word count, but they can whip up an extra batch of cookies for your church Christmas party or take your volunteer shift at the  animal shelter…just remember to get them something extra-nice for Christmas as a thank-you 😉

All in all, I can definitely relate to feeling overwhelmed by the harried business of the holidays. But if you take a step back, reevaluate, and do your best not to over-commit, the Christmas craziness will dissipate before long, leaving you with plenty of opportunities to rest in the beauty of a Silent Night.