Get Organized for the Holidays!

Back in January, I recommended that you reflect on the prior months and record a quick debrief of the 2018 holidays in order to get organized for the holidays in 2019.

Guess what? The 2019 holidays are here, so it’s time to get crackin’!

Do you want to do more of the same that you did in 2018, or do you want to cut some items or activities (or people) from your list? If you didn’t capture these thoughts while the 2018 holidays were still fresh in your mind, now is your chance to think about what you want your 2019 holidays to be like.

If you recorded your answers back in January, now is the time to review them and schedule appointments with yourself on your calendar to complete those items.

If you didn’t capture any thoughts way back when, no worries. 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 few weeks, consider the following:

What went well during the 2018 holiday season?

Reflect back on what made you proud or what made you smile last year. Did you schedule some relaxation time? Did you decorate more – or less? Did you go to more or fewer parties? Did you spend more quality time with your family? Did you cook more – or have your favorite restaurant cater your event? What made your holidays enjoyable?

*What occurrences or plans from 2018 need tweaking for 2019?

Were there plans or events or tasks that went relatively smoothly, but with a little adjusting it could be even better? 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 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 (as in a couple of weeks), a portion of my exterior lights will go 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 made a note to myself last year to consider donating it next time. Next time is here. I’m now ready.

*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 bothered you? What stressed you out? Do you need to stop inviting that super negative person to your holiday gathering? Do you need to stop going to an event that’s just not any fun? What irked you – and really, truly doesn’t need to happen during this holiday season?

*Do you want to try anything new?

Do you have any off-the-wall ideas? Or have you been putting off trying something you heard about some time ago? If you will make the time for it, is there anything new you would like to try?

After you compile all your answers, schedule time on your calendar to get these things done. By making appointments with yourself, you will accomplish your goal of being less stressed and even happier this year.

Here’s to a glorious 2019 holiday season!