Get Organized for the Holidays – the ones in Winter 2019!
I know what you’re thinking – “Get organized for the holidays in winter 2019?!? What?!? Isn’t it a tad bit early??”
I hear ya, I hear ya.
But I’m not talking about getting your turkey baster out or decorating your tree this early. I’m talking about debriefing how things went during your 2018 holidays, so you can do more of the same or axe some items (or people) from your list. And capture these thoughts while the 2018 holidays are still fresh in your mind.
If you’re paper-inclined, get out a sheet of paper or notebook. If you’re digitally inclined, open up a word processing document or spreadsheet. Using your preferred method of capturing your thoughts, record your answers to the following questions.
To get organized for the holidays in the next go-round, consider the following:
*What went well?
Reflect back on what made you proud or what made you smile. Did you schedule some relaxation time? Did you decorate less – or more? Did you go to fewer or more parties? Did you spend more quality time with your family? Did you bake more – or have your favorite restaurant cater? What made your holidays more enjoyable? I loved spending two different days in my pajamas. This is definitely going on my list for next time!
*What needs tweaking?
Were there events or plans or tasks that went relatively smoothly, but with a little adjusting it could be near-perfection? Maybe if you set the turkey out an hour earlier, you wouldn’t have rushed so much? Or should you have shopped for that bottle of Blanton’s a little earlier in the month? Or did the “guaranteed shipping date” items arrive at the last minute, keeping you on pins and needles? What went well, but could be fine-tuned? I realized when I pulled up to my house one post-Christmas evening that I couldn’t see many of the lights in the front of our house while sitting in our front room because the Christmas tree took up the whole window. I decided that next year, half of my exterior lights are going in the backyard where I can enjoy them more.
*What do you need to purchase or donate?
Were some ornaments a little worn, so they need to be replaced? Were you almost ready to let go of that faded 1979 snow globe, but decided to wait until the next holiday season? Do you need to purchase some extra strings of lights? Will you need some additional serving bowls for Thanksgiving? Our beloved dog Hildy passed away in November of 2017. A year later, I wasn’t quite ready to let go of her stocking. I’m making a note to myself to consider donating it next time.
*What did not go well at all and should be removed from your list of to-do’s or events?
What made you cry – and not in a loving, nostalgic way? What stressed you out? What bothered you? Do you need to stop going to an event that’s just not any fun? Do you need to stop inviting that super negative person to your holiday gathering? What irked you – and really, truly doesn’t need to happen during the next holiday season?
*Do you want to try anything new next year?
Got any wild hair ideas? Or have you been putting off trying an idea you heard about a few years back? If you made the time for it, is there anything new you’d like to try?
After you compile all your answers, set a reminder on your calendar for two months before Thanksgiving to pull out these notes. Reading over your answers at the end of September will help get your brain a-churnin’ about what type of holiday season you’d like to experience. By the way, in your reminder (either on your paper calendar or on your digital calendar) be sure to remind yourself where you’re going to store these notes!
Here’s to a glorious 2019 holiday season!