Creating a Memorable Holiday Season

Today, I offer you an exercise that hails back to my days in private practice psychology.  It's a simple, but powerful imagery exercise to help you focus in on and create a memorable holiday season.

Here's what you do: think back to your happiest holiday memories. Take a couple of moments to really get into the experience.

• What do you remember?
• What was most important to you?
• What made you happiest?
• What kind of sensory memories came back to you?

 Over the years, I asked this of many people. People describe time with loved ones and friends, smells, tastes, laughter, meals. People's fondest memories don't revolve around the gifts they received. Sure, they may remember the excitement and expectation around opening brightly covered packages, but no one has ever told me that their best holiday memory was the "......" they got.

So, as you plan your holidays this year, consider these questions. 

• What memories do I want to create for myself and the people in my life this year?
• What might keep me from creating that experience?
• What can I do about it?

Choose at least one concrete action you can take to help create your most memorable holiday experience.