Holiday Planning: “Christmas in October” Is a Good Thing!

Holiday Planning…in October?

Fall is here – crisp temperatures, beautiful colors and … Christmas! We all complain when retailers start displaying Christmas wares in October but consider this – are they completely wrong?

[Tweet “Follow these three steps to create the #holiday season of your dreams #planning”]

Retailers know that it takes planning to create a successful holiday season. Whether you celebrate Christmas or any other mid-winter holiday (or perhaps none at all), the season is packed with activities, parties, guests, and year-end business projects. Every year, right about this time, you begin to feel the increased tension of, “How can I possibly get it all done?” You know you need to make changes so that you can not only get the work done, but also enjoy yourself.

Guess what – now’s the time to start holiday planning to increase your capacity!

You CAN get it all done without giving up social activities.

My client Susan asked about just this situation. She told me she has a major work project due at the end of November. But she has a large family, many of whom are coming into town for Thanksgiving. She knew that she needed to take action and make changes but didn’t know where to begin.

Follow these three steps to create the end of the year of your dreams – or at least enjoy Thanksgiving!

First step is the vision!

Write down your answers to these questions and revisit them often over the next few weeks.

• What does the perfect holiday look like?
• Who do I want to spend it with?
• What activities do I enjoy?
• If I only had two hours on Thanksgiving, how would I want to spend it?
• What is one thing I’m most looking forward to this Christmas?
• Where do I want to spend New Year’s Eve?

Do not skip this step! It’s “only thinking,” my clients will tell me. “I want to know how to streamline the process” others will say. “Give me the meat and potatoes,” a recent client exclaimed. But how can you achieve your goals and increase your capacity unless you know what you want?

Next Step: Work!

Now that you know what you can go on to take action toward those goals. (For more help on how to break these steps down, read this blog post.)

• Write down every single task you need to accomplish, whether work or home.
• Break each task down into the smallest steps.
• Which tasks do you want to do?
• Which do you NOT want to do?
• Should those be delegated or deleted altogether?
• Talk with family members about taking on some of these items.
• Be sure to note each activity on your calendar.

And last: Evaluate!

After you’ve made these changes, keep track of what worked and what did not for next year. As you refine this process, you’ll find that you can create a productive and fun holiday season every year.

The moral of the story: take a cue from retailers and start now to plan a satisfying and enjoyable holiday!

For more information on planning for the holiday’s check out my helpful e-book, Ho Ho NO! Tips for an Organized and Stress-Free Holiday Season, available from Amazon.com here: http://bit.ly/holidayplanningebook.

Please share your thoughts and comments

How will you apply these tips into your own holiday planning? Do you already have a system that works great for you? Please share your wisdom in the comment box below!

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Thanks so much Lisa for sharing your insights with us! These holiday planning tips are great for us Mompreneurs!

Connect with Lisa at www.SystemSavvyConsulting.com as well as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+!

Lisa Crilley Mallis is a time strategy visionary who believes every person deserves the opportunity to live the life of their dreams feeling in control and bringing balance into their lives.  The crazy, “I’m so busy” feeling does not have to be way of life. Lisa is a master at cutting to the heart of overwhelm to help you regain control of your schedule and experience life.  When you follow your personalized time management strategy, every day can be productive, rewarding, and fun!