In this article series, I’ve been asking this question:

How do YOU prepare for the holidays?

Being able to think through this question could be the key to you having a great holiday season!

In the first article, I talked about expectations (societal, cultural, familial) and shared this TIP:

1) T – think – about what you and your family desire to do during the holidays

2) I – inscribe – aka write out what you and your family’s desires are for the holidays

3) P – prioritize – focus on doing that which you deem most important from your list.

In the last article, I talked about “boundaries” which I briefly defined as personal limits based upon who we are and what we believe about ourselves, others, and God.

I talked about how the holidays have a way of exposing areas in our lives where we may not have healthy boundaries. I ended by asking you, the reader, these questions:

Do you have healthy boundaries for yourself?

If so, how do these boundaries help you prepare for this holiday season?

If not, what are some boundaries that you need to put in place?

Lastly, I shared how having healthy boundaries can help us make choices based upon our values and beliefs, especially in the areas of our time, our money, and our relationships.

While the idea of having boundaries is great, there are often barriers to having healthy boundaries. Here are some that I’ve identified in my own life and want to share with you:

Lack of being able to set healthy boundaries – Do you know what your boundaries ought to be but struggle to reinforce them by your choices and actions?

Lack of knowing what healthy boundaries are – Do you feel a bit fuzzy when it comes to knowing what your limits are and find yourself easily outsourcing your sense of agency to others (culture, family, society?)

Lack of clarity about self and personal beliefs/values – Do you know who you are, what you stand for, and what values you have? And how do these aspects about yourself inform how you approach the holidays?

So, here are some questions to ask yourself:

Which barrier to healthy boundaries above (#1-3) do YOU personally struggle with?

If you struggle with one, what do you see as YOUR next step?

If you don’t struggle with this, congrats! Now, who’s in YOUR circle that you can identify that struggles with these things and how can YOU help support them?

May you THRIVE in this holiday season,

Happy Holidays,

Sean