How do you get organized for the holiday blitz? First set your priorities. There are so many things to take care of and it is easy to feel overloaded. Start by making a list of all the things you have to do, followed by all the things you want to do. There is a difference so be sure to make two separate and distinct lists. Next, prioritize the list of things you HAVE to do. Start with the most important thing on the list and begin scheduling. If shopping (buying presents) is one of your items, try and break it out into small shopping excursions. For instance, one day after work you might plan to shop for 2 people. Limit the amount of money you are spending and the amount of time. When you get home wrap and tag your purchases right away. That is a big time saver because you are not piling things to wrap at a later date. Consider giving the gift of an experience – tickets to a show, movie vouchers, entry to a zoo …. These are clutter free gifts and take very little time to purchase! How about decorating? If that is one of your chores try backwards planning. Start with the date by which you want to be completely decorated. Think about all the steps you will take to achieve that and then plot those steps into your calendar. If you take care of a few things at a time it is less imposing and gives you a wonderful sense of accomplishment.
Now, for those thing you want to do…. Once again, prioritize them. Are there things on your ‘want to do’ list that can wait until the New Year? Are there things that are important to you to take care of soon? Schedule the really important things in your calendar. Treat them like an appointment. Then they will happen. Careful planning and managing your time is a critical to getting organized for the holidays.