Happy holidays! ❄️
December has crept up on me, and every time one of my kids updates our “Days until Christmas” sign, I feel just a little bit more anxious about all of the things I still need to do.
This holiday season though, I’m also challenging myself to let the stress go where I can and remind myself that gift cards are decent gifts, gift bags are totally fine, and we can pick up Hawaiian food when we host the family for Christmas.
Letting the stress go also means focusing on the present moment. Specifically, being in awe with how much my kids have changed from this year to last. My kids are physically and mentally changing. When I tuck them in and say good night, and they tell me they will hug me and never let me go…now they actually can hug me and never let go. Until I ask nicely. 😬
Changes mean game nights are much more fun. Instead of Candyland or Chutes and Ladders, my 8 year old wants to play Scrabble and Yahtzee Frenzy. But I also get sad with other changes. I signed them up for milk and cookies with Santa, and both my 6 and 8 year old refused because they “don’t like cookies.” Where did my cookie-loving babies go?
Change is normal though. For them, and for all of us. In the past 4 months I moved from one job to another. One was lacking challenge, and this one now is the right kind of challenge — though a lot of context to get ramped up on. I’m trying to be mindful of not allowing work to consume me once I close the door to my home office, which I’ve been guilty of in the past. There was a part of me that was addicted to the heroics: of trying to save the day, to be the one that makes it all make sense, or to problem-solve and find the path forward. But I realize now that it’s such a mental burden that I don’t need to take on all of the time.
I caught up with a friend recently who reminded me of my evolution, from simply striving to make it in my first director role a couple of years ago…to now settling into my second one. And that I do have it in me to not allow work to consume me.
So if you haven’t had the chance to catch up with a friend who cheers you on, know this: You have it in you to keep the commitments you value, and to invite life to flow with you instead of against you. You don’t have to pull last-minute heroics or sacrifice the attention for other things that are important to you. Some things don’t need to take up the headspace when you’re at your son’s soccer game, family dinner conversations, or interrupted sleep. Protect your headspace and prioritize the other stuff life has to offer.
Happy holidays from my family to yours!
Lia
A few more updates…
🎙️ New podcast coming soon: I'm embarking on a new project (as creatives always do!) with a couple of close friends. We're all Libra INFJs approaching/beginning our 40s, launching a podcast to talk about topics we wish our younger selves knew. Our hope is to pave the way for the next generation to learn our lessons and get unblocked much faster, while giving us space to reminisce, reflect, and relax. More to come next month!
🎨 Meet Lia feature on CanvasRebel: Creatives like us are painfully aware that we’re works in progress. Read about my own work in progress state, the messy middle of learning a new way to creatively express myself, and why it’s important to tap into your creativity, always.
💬 Book a career coaching session: I’ve partnered with ExpertSession to connect with mid- and senior-level designers figuring out the next step in their career journey. If you or someone you know would be interested, please share!
Still here? Nice! 🙌 Here’s something to reflect on…
✨ In a world full of consumers, we need more people to create. It’s easy to tell who is lit from within from those merely going through the motions…and the world needs more people who have come alive.✨
What makes you come alive, and how are you staying lit from within?