The joy of the holiday season seems to be passing you by. There was a work Christmas celebration last week but you were too busy working to share a few laughs at the catered lunch. The tree is up and there is a wreath on the door but that’s as far as you’ve gotten with decorating. The gifts are going to arrive on time, along with the gift bags you can easily slip put them in. Add a little cash or a Starbucks gift card and your holiday shopping is done, just under the wire.
Efficiency is terrific if it allows you to spend more time on what matters. If it’s your survival strategy to just ‘get through’ the holidays maybe you need to rethink your strategy. If you’re so busy checking things off your list that you can’t remember what you actually did, it’s time to slow things down. If your days are one big blur, it’s time to bring things back into focus.
My gift to you today is permission to experience JOMO.
I’m sure you’ve heard of FOMO – fear of missing out – but JOMO may be new. It means JOY of missing out. It means no more worrying about what everyone else is watching, eating or wearing. It means the party is where you are right now so relax and be here.
For me, experiencing JOMO requires two things:
Slowing down.
Being present.
Slowing down is the only way I know to create more time. Rushing around causes time to fly by faster. Slowing down won’t add an extra hour to your day but it will make it feel like you experienced more. It will help you create memorable moments.
So will being present. Isn’t it amazing how fast time flies when you’re scrolling Instagram? Do you ever notice the black holes social media creates in your day? You know you sat down on the couch around 8 pm so how did it get to be after 10 pm without you noticing? That’s the effect of being pulled down the rabbit hole.
Being present means putting away your phone today, even if it’s a new one from Santa. It means being in the moment instead of sharing the moments with your Facebook friends. You can see what everyone else was up to Christmas Eve on December 26. If you want to connect with an old friend, call them. Settle back in your chair with a chai and write a letter to your aunt. Get out the photo album (maybe a baby book?) and flip the pages with your daughter instead of scrolling your phone for memes.
I want you to find the joy in the moments rolling steadily along in front of you. They will never happen again. Make the most of them. To get you started, try this meditation to help you tune into your body and settle into the now.
I don’t have any more wisdom for you this week. We can get back to squats and protein powder soon. For now, just take a few deep breaths and experience JOMO.
