Strategies for Holiday Success
The holidays are here, but don’t worry, there’s still time to stay on top of it all. While there are some aspects that might be out of our control (like Aunt Louise bringing her ubiquitous fruitcake!), there are several areas that are easier to manage during this action-packed season.
Here are a few of our favorite holiday survival techniques that can help save you mental bandwidth and bring some peace, so you may delight in the wonderful weeks ahead.
Envision Your End Goals:
Start at the last event of the season, and plan backwards. It’s our form of reverse engineering, and yep, it really works! Let’s be proactive instead of constantly reacting to whatever pops up next on our schedules.
If you still need some special holiday outfits, start your shopping online or in stores now. If packages need to be received by Christmas Eve, make those your focus. Keep it simple and buy one type of gift for hostesses, teachers, service providers, etc.
Do you want to prioritize visiting Santa Claus with your little ones? Watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” with your bestie? Sipping hot cocoa while walking at night through neighborhoods all lit up like a winter wonderland? Schedule these now, and make sure everyone is on board with you.
Work the Plan:
Plans need to be seen through to be effective! Stay committed to your schedule, and when the unexpected comes your way, adjust as needed. Keeping it simple is always a great way to go.
Just say no to FOMO! It’s easy to worry about missing out on fun activities, but it’s not always worth the added stress and scheduling angst. Keep the event in mind for next year, and go all in on the fun activities you already have planned for the present.
One caveat: Feel free to keep a list of just-for-fun ideas in your back pocket (or maybe your Notes app). If some of your own plans ever end up falling through, these side quests are great fillers and help keep spontaneity a delightful part of the season!
Get Creative:
Spread out your cleaning chores throughout the next few weeks. Write out everything that needs to be done and schedule just one or two a day. It eases the get-everything-ready chaos, and you might be less likely to keep putting them off!
And of course, delegate as much as possible. Whether it’s with your own family members, or the extended crew coming to Christmas dinner, give everyone jobs, chores, or menu items to take on themselves.
Stage your gift wrapping station, even if it’s all just stacked in a bucket in the closet. Gather all the essentials there—scissors, tape, ribbon, bows and wrap—and schedule chunks of time to focus on getting everything done ASAP.
Bonus Level:
If you made a budget, commit to sticking to it! Sometimes we might need to be a bit creative to make it all work, but your future self will thank you.
It may seem a bit obvious, but don’t forget to keep a list of all the presents you’re buying, complete with a box to check off (so satisfying!) when the gift comes in.
Are you feeling overwhelmed with post-holiday organization? Our team at Making Home Space is ready to come alongside you with the tear-down—call us for a free consultation.
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Cheers!
Your MHS Team ✨
