Issue 21 | Dec. 21st, 2021
8&21
Welcome to your three-minute pause. 
Let's focus on your practice of pursuing awesome.

 
Going extreme holiday—
in a new way.
"For many years, a successful holiday meant an extreme holiday. 
It started when our oldest was born. 
Suddenly, the holidays became a
 see-everyone, decorate-everywhere, 
bake-everything, experience-it-all, 
holiday-memory-making marathon.
 
It was extreme. And exhausting. 
(Just look at baby Sawyer's face!)
As I played holiday movies in the background while baking, I wasn't taking time to enjoy the over-scheduled activities I was rushing through. It was a recipe for burnout and burnt cookies.
 
So this year, I'm trying out a new interpretation on ‘extreme holiday’."

 
"Make your holidays fulfilling and not just full."
—
- Dr. Sarah Egan Warren, Co-Editor of 8&21

 
“Instead of scheduling ALL the things this year, I've challenged myself to pick a few and to go EXTREME, 100%, all-in on those things.
 
For example, EXTREME holiday movie watching: Fireplace lit, phone off, cozy PJs, blanket fort awesomeness, a side of cocoa, pizza dinner #nodishes… and no multi-tasking. 
 
To go extreme on a few favorites, I've had to say no to a lot. (But honestly, no one's disappointed that I'm not baking cookies this year.)
 
I've also had to ask for help (cue a gift-wrapping party with my sister-in-law later this week!) and pencil in recharging ‘me-time’ (ex. babysitter help on a few of the kids' Winter Break days). 
 
I'm trying to flip my view of what a successful holiday looks like for us—for me—this year. The only kind of extreme I want is extreme relaxing."
- Dr. Sarah Glova, Co-Editor of 8&21

 
“‘Good enough’ to the rest.” 
 
 
"I do the things I need to do, the things I want to do, and the things I love to do, giving as much effort to each individual activity as I feel necessary, and saying ‘good enough’ to the rest."
 

 
“There is victory in surrender.”
- Shonda Rhimes, Year of Yes

 
When in it, 100% in it.
“'Work hard, play hard. 
 
For a while, I didn't have great work/life balance and realized that was partially my fault.
 
So I decided I would give 100% to work during work hours and then I would give 100% to home during home hours.”
 
- Keona Drakeford
Vice President of Quant Analytics at JP Morgan Chase, Mom, and Cyclist
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Savor moments 
big and small
 
“We often let ordinary joyful moments—like drinking your morning cup of coffee, inhaling the rich scent of a fresh candle, listening to birds singing outside your window—pass without acknowledging how pleasurable they actually are.
 
But savoring, which is the attempt to fully feel and enjoy our positive experiences, is proven to increase happiness, according to Sonja Lyubomirsky, PhD."

 
What are your extreme, all-in, holiday must-haves?

 
Great job!
Way to take a pause and give 3 minutes to your practice of pursuing awesome 
with this issue's theme. You rock!
 
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Welcome! 8&21 is a digital publication sent on the 8th and 21st 
to disrupt your status-quo with an encouraging reset.

 
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Photo Credits: 
 
Photo of Holiday Coffee by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash
 
Headshot of Andrea Dekker from the andreadekker.com blog
 
Photo of Holiday Movie-Watching by Samira Rahi on Unsplash
 
 

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