Wealth, Well-being and Enough

December is my month to remain mindful of “enough,” and it’s not easy. For me, “enough” can mean acceptance, letting go, adapting, and being present. For high achievers (and I work with many), this is challenging, especially at a time of year when the to-dos on our lists grow exponentially. I want to share some thoughts and reflections on “enough” that are meaningful to me. I hope they will resonate with you as well.

1. Images of the ideal monopolize the holidays. The ideal tree, decorations, gifts, parties, and family visits seem pervasive. How often does life deliver the ideal?
2. For those of us with many decades of holidays behind us, December can be a reminder of days in the past. We hold memories of relatives who have departed and days with family or friends who don’t live near us and may be unable to share festivities with us. Along with missing family, I miss the days of shepherding little dancers to rehearsals for “The Nutcracker.” I miss the countless hours struggling to keep hair neatly arranged in tight buns, make-up straight, and costumes orderly.
3. The holidays can place increased pressure on working moms. In addition to getting their “work job” done, there are always extra things to do, like making sure teacher gifts are selected and delivered on time to the school. I can’t tell you the number of years I’ve wondered if Publix bakery goods were sufficient or if I really needed to bake myself to exhaustion into the midnight hours.
4. Holidays can usher in financial pressure. I remember a Christmas in my middle school years when my father was out of work. We had to recalibrate our expectations for gifts (and get creative). At the same time, the world around us seemed focused on what looked like excessive gift-giving. How many of us can relate to wanting to tell our children: Merry Christmas, I’m sending you to college!
5. Have we done enough for our favorite charitable causes? Have we donated enough money or dedicated enough time? The holiday season is a perfect time to consider those less fortunate.
6. Many of us have abandoned last January’s fitness goals, and now we’re running from one sugar-and-carb-laden celebration to another. As year-end approaches, we need to remind ourselves that it may be time to reboot.
7. Looking back on those ambitious strategic plans made at the beginning of the year, is there anything on the list that keeps getting pushed into the next quarter? Is there anything hanging on your list from 2022? If so, realistically, reassessing your goals might be a good idea.

Focusing on “enough” is especially relevant in December, but it’s important to remember every day throughout the year. When I think about what “enough” means, it seems to change throughout my life, by the season and sometimes by the day. On the days when you may feel the ideal is forever elusive, it’s great to reflect on the question: what is enough?

As we grow our wealth, celebrate other successes, or contemplate our losses and things left undone, remaining mindful about what is “enough” is a great practice.

In that place that is “enough,” we can remain anchored to what is truly important.