It’s that time of year where most of us have a to-do checklist as long as Santa’s naughty and nice list. No matter how organised we think we are, when we’ve bitten off more than we can chew, things are going to fall through the cracks and we end up like a 2-year-old with a packet of Hubba Bubba.
The thing is, PakMag Parents, we are all becoming busier than a mosquito in a nudist colony. Except our kids – they are most likely half nude, and wearing odd socks, of course.
When you are busy, things get forgotten.
Recently, I did the dreaded, “I forgot to pick up my kids from school” fail. My parents did it all the time and I swore I would never do it. But there I was, one hour late grabbing the kids from school. Yes. One full hour. I know, I know… but thankfully, the kids and the staff both found the humour in silly mummy’s forgetfulness. Forgetfulness does cause many hiccups in life, but it can also be a blessing.
So, this festive season, here are five things I’d love you to forget.
Trying to please everyone
It’s not going to happen. If there is one thing I have learnt this year, it’s that pleasing everyone is impossible (but annoying them is a piece of cake). Some people are just negative Nancy’s, and even winning a million dollars wouldn’t make them happy.
Why? Because, at their core, they are not happy with themselves. Until that changes, you’re going to be emptying your cup into someone else’s which has a massive hole in it. And no, you can’t fix that hole, they have to.
Past hurts
Think of all your past hurts. Put them all in a backpack and think of how it feels to be carrying all that extra weight with you. Is it time to take a few things out of that bag and live a bit lighter? Is it time to try forgive and forget?
Keeping up with the Jones’
We live in a super competitive world and it’s so easy to get caught up in wanting more. As Viktor Frankl said, “Man is most tempted to distract himself with pleasure when his life was void of meaning”. So, forget the ‘stuff’ and place more importance on meaning.
Feeling guilty
Focus on how you can grow instead of getting the guilts. I’m sure you are doing so many amazing things, so shift your focus to what you do, not what you don’t do. Guilt is just one of those emotions that shows you care and that you want to do better.
Perfection
No one is perfect, and every single person on the planet has something they want to improve. Embrace your imperfections and stop waiting for things to be perfect before you do them. Just go for it.
Just don’t forget to pick up the kids.
