Being surrounded by friends and family during the holidays is a time of year like no other. We all love the warmth that it brings with the holiday music playing, putting up the Christmas tree, decking the halls with essential christmas decorations, and baking cookies. Preparing of all of these holiday endeavors goes right along with that warm and fuzzy Christmas feeling. Getting prepared in advance for the holiday season will make the feeling that we all adore come sooner, as well as make your holidays smoother and more enjoyable this year.
Now that it’s November, Christmas is going to be here in a flash. Every year there is so much that we wish to accomplish, however, it is easy for tasks slip away from us within the tick of busy holiday schedule. Which is why organization is key!
The best way to stay on track with your goals and hold yourself accountable is through compiling all of your tasks into Holiday to-do lists. Everyone’s will vary, however, here are some examples that you might want to create to help your holiday planning:
- Groceries for dinner.
- Holiday decorations that need to be put up, as well as the items you still need.
- Events you want to attend such as holiday craft fairs, visiting Santa Clause, etc.
- Scheduling when to decorate the Christmas tree, and ornaments needed.
- Christmas desserts you wish to bake and the necessary supplies needed.
- Gifts you want to buy for friends and family. Supplies for wrapping gifts that may include tags, bows, ribbons, tape, etc.
- Storage containers you’ll need for after the holidays.
- Even a list of cleaning you want to get done!
With delegated lists you will be able to see everything you want to finish. With physically seeing all your tasks laid out, you can adjust and plan accordingly.
Now, take a step back and have your lists and your calendar right next to each other. Does everything align? Do events you want to attend overlap? Do you think you can finish everything that’s in front of you? This is the time where everything you wish to complete becomes a reality. You want to go into your holiday endeavors with realistic expectations, so you are not overwhelmed by the amount of tasks or disappointed at the undertaking you don’t complete.
Once you have reviewed everything you have given yourself to do and made adjustments, you are ready for the next step of scaling everything based on priorities. Make sure that the first thing on your list is the most important and can be done well in advance of Christmas. Make the last thing be tasks that can be done closer to Christmas and even last-minute. For example, when making lists of people you wish to buy for, your top priority might be children, spouses, and/or parents, whereas something at the bottom of your list might be fresh poinsettias for a friend, which can’t be bought too early.
Once your tasks are organized, all that’s left to do is complete them! Do you have everything written down? Are they all scaled by priority order? Do you feel you can get it all done? If you have answered “Yes” to all of these questions, then you are ready to go. Start chipping away at the lists, one task at a time, until you have crossed them all off your list! Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need to.
Make each task a lasting holiday tradition. You’re planning for the holidays! You should want to commit to having a stress-free holiday and primarily experience the emotion of joy. Enjoy this holiday season knowing that you have already planned everything accordingly to have the most wonderful Christmas season with all of your loved ones.
