5 Micro-Planning™ Tips to Your Best December Ever (So You Don't Lose Your Mind)!

12/03/19 • 27 min

The Brilliant Life Show

032 Here are my top Micro-PlanningTM tips to enjoy and prep for the December holiday season!

Set vision and boundaries for the month:
- Recognize that you can create a different rhythm for Dec.
- Proactive vs. reactive
- How do you want to feel Jan. 1?
  - Refer to Trailer, 5 Yrs in 5 Min.
  - Beware of depression
- What is best for your family? Consider how to transfer family values in this season.
- What memories do you want to have created?
- What traditions do you want to start, con't or end?
- Relationship building things: puzzles, games, sports, outings.
- Release unhealthy, self-imposed expectations.
- Discuss with partner and kids (family meeting!)
- Clearly and kindly communicate your boundaries to others.
  - Travel or not travel - this may be best to communicate far in advance.
- Say, "No":
  - Learn the most effective, least painful way to say, "No," in my 7 Day Challenge
Outsourcing/Delegating:
- Martyr syndrome: You do not need to do everything.
- Consider outsourcing just for Dec.
- Grocery delivery
- Cleaners
- Personal assistant or virtual assistant
- Gift wrapping: partner, kids or neighborhood teen
- Additional babysitters/childcare/mothers helper
- USPS ships packages from home;
  - will mail you boxes and stamps (for free, I think!)
- Cater holiday food: Costco, Boston Market
  - This may need to be done in advance.
Micro-PlanningTM/Scheduling:
- List all activities you want to do.
- Invite input from partner and kids.
- FOMO/Margin
- Be willing to cancel.
- Plan your month.
- Meal planning for each week.
Gifts:
- Keep lists in phone throughout the year:
  - Wish lists for kids
  - Gifts bought for others list
- Gifts for your kids:
  - Consignment sales; shop year round
  - Set the bar low by starting with just 3-5 gifts.
  - Universal Amazon wish list.
  - If you have excess, re-gift gifts.
  - Pull out 1 gift a week or over breaks and summer.
  - Rotate toys.
  - Use as an excuse to get rid of a bunch of stuff to make room for incoming gifts.
- Gifts for others:
  - Order online.
  - Avoid waiting until the last minute to avoid going to stores.
Decorations:
- Invite a friend or two without children over to decorate.
  - Such a blessing to people who don't have little kids.
  - Such a blessing for the adults!
  - Frozen lasagna for dinner.
- Simplify, especially when kids young.
- Tablecloth
- Cloth napkins
- Value based decorations:
  - Wooden/magnetic advent calendar
  - Nativity scene

Kick 2020 off right!!

Join our next 7-Day Mini Habits Challenge Do Less, Achieve More!
Register by Jan. 6

Leave a Review to Win a $100 Amazon Gift Card (2 drawings!)

Receive your “Top 11 Apps that Will Change Your Life Checklist” AND be entered to win a $100 Amazon gift card
By doing the following by Fri., Dec. 6th
Winner Announced FB Live: Sun., Dec. 8th at 9PM EST
Leave a review for the show
- Screenshot the review before you submit as it takes 24 hours to post!
DM screenshot to my Joy Wilder FB Page OR email [email protected]
Like my Joy Wilder FB Page
Double entry!!
- screenshot your fave podcast episode
- share to your FB or IG
- #brilliantlifeshow and tag @JoyWilder1000 (FB) or @joywilder2 (IG)

032 Here are my top Micro-PlanningTM tips to enjoy and prep for the December holiday season!

Set vision and boundaries for the month:
- Recognize that you can create a different rhythm for Dec.
- Proactive vs. reactive
- How do you want to feel Jan. 1?
  - Refer to Trailer, 5 Yrs in 5 Min.
  - Beware of depression
- What is best for your family? Consider how to transfer family values in this season.
- What memories do you want to have created?
- What traditions do you want to start, con't or end?
- Relationship building things: puzzles, games, sports, outings.
- Release unhealthy, self-imposed expectations.
- Discuss with partner and kids (family meeting!)
- Clearly and kindly communicate your boundaries to others.
  - Travel or not travel - this may be best to communicate far in advance.
- Say, "No":
  - Learn the most effective, least painful way to say, "No," in my 7 Day Challenge
Outsourcing/Delegating:
- Martyr syndrome: You do not need to do everything.
- Consider outsourcing just for Dec.
- Grocery delivery
- Cleaners
- Personal assistant or virtual assistant
- Gift wrapping: partner, kids or neighborhood teen
- Additional babysitters/childcare/mothers helper
- USPS ships packages from home;
  - will mail you boxes and stamps (for free, I think!)
- Cater holiday food: Costco, Boston Market
  - This may need to be done in advance.
Micro-PlanningTM/Scheduling:
- List all activities you want to do.
- Invite input from partner and kids.
- FOMO/Margin
- Be willing to cancel.
- Plan your month.
- Meal planning for each week.
Gifts:
- Keep lists in phone throughout the year:
  - Wish lists for kids
  - Gifts bought for others list
- Gifts for your kids:
  - Consignment sales; shop year round
  - Set the bar low by starting with just 3-5 gifts.
  - Universal Amazon wish list.
  - If you have excess, re-gift gifts.
  - Pull out 1 gift a week or over breaks and summer.
  - Rotate toys.
  - Use as an excuse to get rid of a bunch of stuff to make room for incoming gifts.
- Gifts for others:
  - Order online.
  - Avoid waiting until the last minute to avoid going to stores.
Decorations:
- Invite a friend or two without children over to decorate.
  - Such a blessing to people who don't have little kids.
  - Such a blessing for the adults!
  - Frozen lasagna for dinner.
- Simplify, especially when kids young.
- Tablecloth
- Cloth napkins
- Value based decorations:
  - Wooden/magnetic advent calendar
  - Nativity scene

Kick 2020 off right!!

Join our next 7-Day Mini Habits Challenge Do Less, Achieve More!
Register by Jan. 6

Leave a Review to Win a $100 Amazon Gift Card (2 drawings!)

Receive your “Top 11 Apps that Will Change Your Life Checklist” AND be entered to win a $100 Amazon gift card
By doing the following by Fri., Dec. 6th
Winner Announced FB Live: Sun., Dec. 8th at 9PM EST
Leave a review for the show
- Screenshot the review before you submit as it takes 24 hours to post!
DM screenshot to my Joy Wilder FB Page OR email [email protected]
Like my Joy Wilder FB Page
Double entry!!
- screenshot your fave podcast episode
- share to your FB or IG
- #brilliantlifeshow and tag @JoyWilder1000 (FB) or @joywilder2 (IG)

Previous Episode

7 Simple Steps to Kick Anxiety to the Curb!

031 I never thought that I dealt with anxiety. Until the last few months. With all the transitions in our lives over the last year, especially the stress surrounding launching two new businesses and the addition of a fourth baby, it's gotten a bit intense!

Here are the my Top 7 Tips on How to Kick Anxiety to the Curb: (Well, trying to, most days!)

Identify the Anxiety:
- Choose to ID my feelings vs. DISMISS my feelings
- Anxiety sign posts for me:
  - heart racing;
  - obsessive thoughts on an issue;
  - guilt;
  - irrational, negative thoughts, i.e., “I’m ruining my family’s life.”
Release the Need to Control:
- Pray like it depends on God and work like it depends on me.
- I can only control things within my circle of control.
Reframing Mantras:
- “I have more than enough time to do everything that I need to do.”
- “I laugh at the days to come.”
- I release the timeline.
- No big deal.
- Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Manage My Emotions:
- Avoid emotional extremes of adult temper tantrums or meltdowns.
- Emotional Intelligence 2.0
Talk to 1 to 2 People:
- Your partner, coach, friend or therapist
Prayer/Meditation/Presence of ️God:
- Meditation: HeadSpace app taught me about meditation which has really improved my prayer life with Jesus.
- More time in prayer and the presence of God
Self-care:
- Step outside yourself and observe yourself as if you’re a doctor or counselor.
  - 3 S's: Sleep, Sugar, Stimulants
  - Exercise
  - Nutrition
  - Relationships
  - Routine

Kick 2020 off right!!

Join our next 7-Day Mini Habits Challenge Do Less, Achieve More!
Register by Jan. 6

Leave a Review to Win a $100 Amazon Gift Card (2 drawings!)

Receive your “Top 11 Apps that Will Change Your Life Checklist” AND be entered to win a $100 Amazon gift card
By doing the following by Fri., Dec. 6th
Winner Announced FB Live: Sun., Dec. 8th at 9PM EST
Leave a review for the show
- Screenshot the review before you submit as it takes 24 hours to post!
DM screenshot to my Joy Wilder FB Page OR email [email protected]
Like my Joy Wilder FB Page
Double entry!!
- screenshot your fave podcast episode
- share to your FB or IG
- #brilliantlifeshow and tag @JoyWilder1000 (FB) or @joywilder2 (IG)

Next Episode

Lifestyle Entrepreneur Roadmap™ with Burn the Picket Fence's April Beach

033 Today April pull's back the curtain on her Lifestyle Entrepreneur RoadmapTM - laying out the 5 phases of business and how our success hinges on us understanding and embracing each phase.

She also shares incredible wisdom on the importance of picking the right business model for the right season of your life, especially if you have children! She echos my belief that for mothers of young children, it doesn't get better than an online business model!

Finally, we wrap up with April's insight on a free, powerful strategy to overcome the influx of online businesses and get your online business selling more than ever before.

April Beach is a lifestyle business expert for women who want to defy the status quo, build unconventional companies, and live life on their terms around their family. Over the last 23 years, she's been an author, speaker, business development strategist, online business pioneer, and has carved her niche as the go-to expert to design your business around family.

She is mom of three teen boys, and just celebrated her 21st wedding anniversary with her husband.

April's Lifestyle Entrepreneur RoadmapTM

Phase 1: Purpose
Phase 2: Launch
Phase 3: Growth
Phase 4: Freedom
Phase 5: Impact

Connect more with April!

SweetLife Entrepreneur Podcast
SweetLife Business RoadmapTM at www.aprilbeach.com/quiz or text "sweetlife" to 31996
"Burn the Picket Fence" family vlog

Kick 2020 off right!!

Join our next 7-Day Mini Habits Challenge Do Less, Achieve More!
Register by Jan. 6

Leave a Review to Win a $100 Amazon Gift Card (2 drawings!)

Receive your “Top 11 Apps that Will Change Your Life Checklist” AND be entered to win a $100 Amazon gift card
By doing the following by Fri., Dec. 6th
Winner Announced FB Live: Sun., Dec. 8th at 9PM EST
Leave a review for the show
- Screenshot the review before you submit as it takes 24 hours to post!
DM screenshot to my Joy Wilder FB Page OR email [email protected]
Like my Joy Wilder FB Page
Double entry!!
- screenshot your fave podcast episode
- share to your FB or IG
- #brilliantlifeshow and tag @JoyWilder1000 (FB) or @joywilder2 (IG)