December Daily® 2015 | Let's Begin

Welcome to December Daily® 2015. 

I seriously feel like I blinked this year and here we are again. 

I've been thinking, as I often do at this very same time of the year, about what I hope for you during this holiday and this project. This year what I hope most of all is that you find or embrace your own voice. Your stories, your joy, your real life truths and traditions at this point in time. This project is about capturing stories - big and small - during the month of December. It's about finding joy in the little things and looking for & making magic even as adults with serious jobs and serious lives. 

Here's a few things I often remind people as we embark on this project:

1. Find a pace that works for you. You might work on this project each day or you might save up a few days for a longer period of work time or you might wait until the end of the holiday season. People have so many different ways of approaching this project. For me, I do one story a day and I work on it daily (most of the time). Sometimes that's as simple as adding a photo and a few words to a pocket and sometimes it becomes a multi-page ordeal. I let the story, and the time available, lead me throughout the month.

2. Enjoy the process. If it starts feeling like a job, simplify. If it becomes boring, mix it up. Make this be something that enhances rather than detracts from you holiday season.

3. Read the 25 Ideas And Story Inspirations from a few years back. Or jump in on the Storytelling With December Daily® workshop that's still available to join where you can find additional inspiration for the reason why behind this project. 

4. Remember that it's not about what any one else is doing except you and your family. Embrace your own holiday spirit, your own stories - whatever they may be this year. Don't spend all your time looking at other people's stuff that you miss out on the time you could have spent working on your own project, telling you own stories. 

5. Look for the joy. Really, that's what this project is about. Find your own joy, even if you have to make it happen for yourself.

6. Start with an intention. What is it you hope for this holiday season? Can you describe it in one word? Why do you participate in this project? In case you missed my free "intentions" printable you can check it out and download it here: 2015 Foundation Pages.

You can do this. Absolutely, 100%, you can.

Let's tell stories together. Ready, set, go. 

I'll be working on my December 1 story today and sharing it with you here on my blog tomorrow.