With the holidays upon us, many people get stressed out.  This always struck me as ironic – especially when I was young – how could such a magical time of year be stressful?

Then, as I aged and started to gain wisdom (a life-long process, I might add) I came to learn of all the stresses that life places on us to keep the magic strong for the next generation.

It almost seems sadistic, doesn’t it?  As if the rights of passage should be to experience disillusion and practical matters outweigh abandon.

But I write in the spirit of keeping all things in balance to state that it need not be that way.  It’s all about identifying habits, breaking bad ones and developing (or strengthening) good ones.  You can apply these focus areas to your work load, house load or family load:

1)      Know your limitations!  Everyone seems to work hard and not smart.  I recognize that I have an almost supernatural energy compared to my wife, who goes in shifts – highly productive/take a nap/highly productive/take a nap.  Don’t try to beat a dead horse and accept that your to-do list should fall on your most energetic periods.  As it applies to the holidays, you may wish to be a “Griswold” with the lights, but a simple display can be tasteful and quickly-executed.

2)      You will only be good at so many things.  You will always have an area that isn’t perfect and probably never will be.  Accept this, seek help for that weakness and thrive in your strengths.  Honestly, you may dream of being a C.F.O. someday, but what if you’re really a marketing genius?  Why deny the world that gift?  An example for the holidays:  Maybe you hate wrapping gifts – but I’ll bet you could have a little helper who will both enjoy the process and impress relatives with their skills – or at least the effort.

3)      Pace yourself.  Don’t make impossible lists.  Rather, prioritize and make a deal with yourself to be happy if you only get the “A1” item done by the end of the day (or period of days, if it’s meant to be – don’t cram unreasonable expectations into a finite period!  That’s a definition of insanity.)  For the holidays, use the term “really?”  as in, are you “really” going to be able to set up and decorate the whole tree in an hour?  REALLY?  You’ll find a whole new level of honesty with yourself and with others.

4)      Take time to savor.  This is a great to-do for those weak periods in your day.  When your energy is down, plan for other peak periods.  Reflect on what’s working and what needs to change.  Just meditate and get back in focus.  Any of these are great things to do for your low-energy points.  For the holidays, don’t forget why we have the holidays in the first place!  Celebrating and commemorating shouldn’t be exhausting.

5)      Don’t expect anyone to be you.  Whether it’s a co-worker on the job or one of your kids around the house, you are you.  Your gifts and talents are what make you special and valued.  Don’t project your focus on anyone else.  They’ll only resent it and you – and productivity suffers as a result.  Find the best way for them to participate in a task that they will succeed in and involve accordingly.  Every Santa needs elves.  And neither one can be the other.

This prescription will work whether you’re a housewife (or househusband) or the C.E.O. of a fortune 500 company.  Try it for a month and see for yourself!  Happy holidays!