Time Management Tuesday: The Advent Project. Or The Holiday Hell Project. Whichever You Prefer.

Since 2021 I've been spending my Decembers on what I call either the Advent Project or the Holiday Hell Project, a way of writing while dealing with the hell of preparing for a holiday that is a bizarre combination of materialism, media-induced spirituality, nostalgia, and some other stuff. In addition, we are one of those families that routinely has relatives terminally ill or actually dying in December or, if we're lucky, we're waiting for medical test results. Or, if we're really lucky, someone is just run-of-the-mill sick at the peak holiday time. 

Our history is bad enough that as December approaches I often feel undirected, low-level fear. This year we have ducked health crises so far, or gotten them out of the way early, but we have two different family groups going on extensive trips, involving flying out of the country. And back. Why? Why? No, I am not filled with the freakin' joy of the season. 

Or maybe I am. This is the joy of the season here. 

Which brings us to the Advent Project.

The Advent Project 

My Advent Project, which I believe I've also called my December Project as well as the aforementioned Holiday Hell Project, leans on the concept of temporal landmarks, calendar dates/events that mark a difference of some sort. Temporal landmarks make people feel they can begin something new.

If there's anything I love, it's beginning again.

And that's what I do during the Advent Project. I accept that this is a rough time of year to get anything done and just focus on beginnings. I try to begin a new writing project each day. I get something down in Word, file it, and then walk away and do whatever else I need to do for December. 

Where do these beginnings come from?

• My writer's journal.
• Beginnings from earlier years that I didn't do anything with.
• I'd like to take a peek at very old projects in the filing cabinet and either start something with them or throw them away.

Last year, I did, indeed make 25 beginnings. You only need 25, because Advent ends on Christmas Day! Maybe Christmas Eve. I don't know. But my point is, I didn't have to slog it out to the end of the month.

• 7 of those beginnings were moved to working files in 2025
• 7 of those beginnings that made it to working files in 2025 were submitted
• 3 of those beginnings were published

Not big numbers, but, remember, all those beginnings are still available for me to do something with in the future. Beginning is hard.

Get this, today's beginning I was pleased with until I looked at last year's beginnings and realized I'd begun it then, too. So now I've put those two beginnings together, and I have a lot of material to work with next year. Don't think I'm not excited about that.

That's one of the positives of the Advent Project. When it's working, I feel excitement about going to work after it's over.

I've done today's beginning as well as this blog post (and received an acceptance on a humor piece I wrote over the long weekend), and now I can walk away to maybe do a little Christmas work and try to deal with the disorder that's somehow accumulated around me. As it does in December.

Happy Advent Project!