I am a high effort person. There isn’t a task that I can’t overcomplicate.
My friends are coming to town? Okay, I’ll prepare a little skincare basket and set an itinerary that will create the vibes. I have to think through every moment because god forbid I’m caught off guard. What’s the strategy then?
It’s time for me to host a holiday. I’ll come up with a menu where every item is intricate and something they’ve never seen before. There will be beautiful place settings and namecards. How else would my immediate family know where to sit during a dinner with 10 people?
I want to add fun into my life. I’ll create festivals with a complex system of rules and agendas and ultimately burnout because I don’t really have extra time to plan elaborate monthly events.
Oh wait…
So what started as a festival ended up being just a perfect outing. And you know what, that is perfectly okay. If we tie back to the goal, to feel like I was living my life and creating amazing new memories. I’m doing it.
If you’ve been following along with my festival saga, I change the rules every time. I’m still learning! Year one is meant for that… and maybe year two, we’ll see.
One thing about me, I love to plan. I love rules. But, I also love to break them and follow what I’m feeling at the moment.
The September Festival was Autumn Harvest & Apple Bliss which translates into apple picking & baking apple pie with cool designs. We invited my sister and her family to join us, which includes my nephew. Seeing the orchard from his perspective was such a treat. We picked apples and then we went further into the farm to pick tomatoes, eggplant, corn, and potatoes. The farm we picked also had live music, lunch and apple cider donuts. A perfect day.
As the day shifted from just apple picking to a farm extravaganza, I knew we weren’t going to go home and bake pie. Not only that, but we had such an early start, we didn’t do our opening ritual. By the time we got home, we were tired and didn’t do the closing ritual either. Isn’t that what makes the day a festival?
Let’s boil this down because I’m going to be straight with you. Early on in my experiment, I received some criticism that really stuck with me. It’s had me spinning my wheels, trying to make changes and feeling like a failure. “What makes it a festival? Isn’t that just a day date?” I’ve been trying to create a definitive answer and am drawing a blank.
New definition and I really hope this is the one that sticks. It’s a festival because I deem it so.
There is an aura shift and an intentionality when you call it a festival versus a day date or just fun plans. The shift in aura is everything. So yes, we did have a festival in September and it was an experience I wouldn’t have otherwise thought of. Any other year I would’ve said, apple picking during Labor Day weekend feels too early. We loved it. To each their own.
I’m not sure if the lesson here is to protect what’s fragile or to not let others impact you. Maybe a little of both. Easy phrases to write, way more difficult to implement.
As we are entering the end of 2026, it’s time to assess. What did you set out to do that hasn’t happened yet? There is still time. Now is the perfect time to get started and to think about what your intention for 2027 will be.
Someone who isn’t me, may read this post and think the thing I need to change is my inclination to overcomplicate. It’s just not going to happen, I am who I am. What can change is my ability to be flexible, to give myself grace when change is needed, and to understand that rules are meant to be broken sometimes. I’ve already started down this path, but next year, I can stand to do a little more of it.
Challenge: Choose one thing that you haven’t been able to accomplish yet in 2026 and put extra emphasis on it.
