Be True to Yourself During the Holidays and Beyond

Everyday I make connections with my true self, constantly learning about who that sometimes crazed, sometimes serene person is.  My goal is to inspire and provoke the very same thoughts in moms everywhere.  This very blog, my personal project and first step into a brighter world, has made me think about myself and the world around me differently.  This week was no exception.

While feeding my desire to self-motivate and challenge myself to train for another 10k, I found myself rearranging ads on my site in order to fit a block widget to publish my training runs.  Not only do I love puzzles, but I obsess over visual presentation, and making these images fit together for a professional magazine-style layout is no small task.

I began posting ads for a variety of reasons.  First and foremost, I wanted The PranaMama to look professional.  Secondly, I wanted to provide links to products that would support moms in a healthy way, and would align with the various topics covered, such as cooking, nutrition, fitness, yoga and lifestyle.  Lastly, I wanted to test the waters, to see if these affiliate links could help pay for my overhead of self-hosting the site, and entice other small wellness-related businesses to post their own advertisements for very low cost.  I never posted a public page with offers of advertising space, instead thinking, “If I post it, they will come.”

As I was rearranging like mad, I found myself re-evaluating the ads, and researching other widgets which provide a service to visitors, such as the current local food finder provided by the Natural Resources Defense Council, and Rodney Yee’s Yoga Pose of the Day.  I decided tools like this are far more enticing to a reader who is stopping by the blog for information and resources on health and wellness.

While I have left several ads I believe to be beneficial to moms, their families or our world in general, I have become highly sensitive to the bombarding e-mails I receive daily from corporate affiliate programs.  It seems the holiday season has put them into overdrive, pushing me to post their flashy ads for “20% off TODAY ONLY!” and “Free Shipping on Orders over $50!”   I would have to be a different kind of blogger to spend my days focusing on these ads and trying to maximize my bottom line by forcing the annual holiday commercialism on my valued readers.

The lesson I have taken away this week two-fold.  First, listen to your inner wisdom.  When something doesn’t feel right, explore the issue, and don’t be afraid to change.   Secondly, be true to yourself during the holidays (and every other time of year!).  At a time when so many well-intentioned folks are draining your energy (through attendance at parties, family gatherings, gift giving, volunteering, increased workloads, etc.), it’s essential to our own health and happiness that we remember our values, goals, and most importantly, our limits.  I could no sooner spend my few child-free working hours managing the retail industry’s affiliate ads than you could baking cookies for the Scout troop, creating and mailing holiday cards, hosting four different sets of in-laws or attending multiple Christmas parties on the same night with small children in tow.

For a happy and healthy holiday season and beyond, follow these three simple steps:

1. Set your intention:  Write in a journal, talk with your partner or go for a walk, keeping in mind all the ways in which you can limit your workload and enjoy yourself on a daily basis.

2. Make a plan:  Set actual limits and goals, considering your time, energy level, financial abilities and priorities.

3. Stay true to yourself:  Hold yourself accountable to your plan.  Create a reward for staying within your boundaries, such as a special purchase or a night out.

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