5 Steps To Get Holidays To-Do’s More Organized

In my article 3 Ways to Reduce Holiday Stress, one of the suggestions was to get yourself organized. 

If you feel overwhelmed with all the things you think you need to get done between now and the New Year, check out these five steps to get more organized and feel in control so you can enjoy the holidays better.

5 Steps To Get Holidays To-Do’s More Organized

1. Write down all you need to do. 

Grab a pen and paper and write down everything in your brain you need to get done this holiday season. This step will immediately reduce stress because you won’t be worried about forgetting anything.

2. Mark off what isn’t necessary.

Sometimes, we create more tasks for ourselves than what is really needed. Go through each item and if any one of them isn’t an absolute requirement, consider scratching it from your list or at least see if you can find a way to simplify it.

3. Schedule tasks on your calendar. 

Take your list and schedule these things on your calendar. Focus on the most urgent. See what tasks can be combined to make the most of your time. Add in travel and a little wiggle room time. Try not to schedule anything on the actual day of your celebration so you can enjoy being present in the moment.

4. Slowly tackle each to-do. 

One by one, work on each to-do. Multi-tasking too many things at one time can actually end up taking longer than if you did them individually, and they typically aren’t done as well. As you tackle each to-do, enjoy the satisfaction of crossing it off your list. Before you know it, you will have made significant progress.

5. Be okay if you can’t get it all done or it isn’t “perfect.”

We tend to over-commit and complicate things, but most tasks aren’t as critical as we think they are. If you can’t get something done or get it done to your expectations, give yourself some grace. What you were hoping to do will probably not be noticed or be “perfect” to someone else. Also, there is nothing wrong with asking for or paying for help to get things done when you’re feeling overwhelmed.

Sometimes we are so busy trying to make a holiday memorable, that we miss out on what’s truly important. Give these steps a try to help you feel more in control and less stressed, so you enjoy the season. 

To a healthy and enjoyable holiday season,

Jen