How I’m Rethinking the Holidays Now That My Kids Are Young Adults

“The years that I really trusted this process and made the space for it are the years that really pop in the timeline of my life and my business.” - Mia Moran

In the last episode, I shared the history of why December matters so much to me. In this one, I’m letting you into my brain as I start planning this December. It’s a little circular, it’s honest, and it’s happening on a day that feels more like May than winter. I hope it sparks your own thinking as you listen.

In this episode:

Why intentional Decembers work, like vitamins. It’s hard to tell they’re working until you skip them. The years I didn’t plan my December well, the following year was different every single time, and the years I trusted the process are the ones that pop in my timeline.
My shifting identity as a mother. My kids are 23, almost 21, and almost 18, and they’re all coming home with their personalities, their stuff, and their lives. A client’s passing comment that her kids weren’t coming home this year went straight to my heart and made me think about how I want to be with them now.
Protecting my self-care when the house is full. This November I’m doing yoga every day and sharing something with my audience every day, as a devotion to my body and my business. I’m thinking about how to carry that into December alongside the reflective, dreamy soul work that winter calls me into.
Rethinking presents. Even with years of thoughtful simplicity, things get returned or left behind. I’m dreaming about doing it differently, maybe a Yankee swap or an afternoon of thrifting together, and getting my adult kids’ buy-in before anything changes.
Writing letters and reimagining our countdown calendar. Simple still takes time, and I want to prioritize writing each of my kids a letter. I’m also wondering how to “young adultify” our advent calendar, and I know I need to share plans in advance and put them on the calendar.
Finishing work strong so I can truly unplug. I want to take real time off, feel finished, and be an example of what’s possible for women entrepreneurs. That means project plans, meetings with my bookkeeper and accountant in the calendar year, an easy FLOW365 re-enrollment process, and setting the autoresponder.

Steps you can take this week

Notice how your role is changing. Ask yourself who you’re becoming this season, as a mom, a partner, or a business owner. Then decide what you want to support, and what you’re ready to let others do for themselves.
Choose one self-care anchor for December. Pick something that gets you out of the house or into your journal, like a restorative yoga class, a sound healing, or a community tradition you love. Put it on the calendar now.
Talk about the holidays before they arrive. If you’re thinking of doing gifts or traditions differently, share your ideas early and invite buy-in. No one likes a surprise rug-pull.
Get your plans on the calendar. If you want everyone together for a concert, a dinner, or a movie night by the fire, say so now. Grown kids and busy friends make plans fast.
Handle the calendar-year to-dos. Look at what needs to happen before December 31st, like a bookkeeper meeting, an accountant check-in, or a health appointment, and schedule it.
Plan your exit from work. Decide what “finished” looks like, make a simple project plan to get there, and write your autoresponder ahead of time so you can truly unplug.

Excited to have a plan for all this? Join Us for Make December Matter

If you’ve been thinking about FLOW365, I’ll be opening a short window to join in 2026 for 2027, which can be helpful if you’d like to invest in yourself this calendar year.

Join me for Make December Matter

This is not a sales event. I made it for my FLOW365 clients, and I’m inviting other women into it. It’s you coming to plan your December, and I’ll use my own plan as an example as we go. Here’s how it works:

Live session on Thursday, November 12th. In about two and a half hours, I’ll walk you through designing your whole December.
Do the work over the weekend. You’ll get a beautiful planning book and the recording, so you can take your time.
Integration and coaching on Tuesday, November 17th. We’ll meet back up so you can get your questions answered and head into the season feeling ready.
Can’t make it live? Join anyway and use the replay. Maybe this is your Black Friday thing.

What we’ll plan together:

Work and life projects that need finishing, and what doesn’t need to get done
A wellness plan for food, sleep, and your health
Your holidays, including gifts, gatherings, and even that difficult dinner
How to actually take time off
Space in the dark days of December for delicious dreaming and visioning

Here’s the part I’m so excited about. When you join for $111, you get a year on Substack. That includes Make December Matter plus a guided planning session every month, so you pull the thread of your vision all the way through 2027. The price goes up to $147 on November 12th, so grab it now.

Are you an entrepreneur in midlife and beyond who wants to grow your network next year? You can upgrade to the version that includes networking.

[Sign Up Here]

And bring a friend! The more the merrier, and you’ll have built-in accountability.

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