Use these 5 tips to be “organized enough” for the holidays this year

Do you have a lengthy to-do list made even longer with the addition of holiday tasks? Talk about overwhelming and stressful!

This is supposed to be a fun and festive time of the year.  So just like on a computer you sometimes have to change “permissions” so the right people have the correct access, it might be time to change your holiday “permissions.”

Check out these five ideas and see if one or more can make your day brighten a little:

Not a big fan of fancy meals? Tired after a long day and don’t want to be in the kitchen? You have permission to streamline your meals, whether they are the “regular” meals or a holiday party. Try one or more of these ideas:

• Pick up dinner from a restaurant or the prepared food section at a grocery store. Better yet, have a meal delivered.
• Frozen lasagna, garlic bread, and salad from a bag.
• Get part of all of a holiday meal catered. For the first time ever, my family had a totally catered Thanksgiving dinner and our Christmas one will be partially catered.
• Hire a personal chef to make multiple meals.
• Use paper dishes for a meal so you don’t have to deal with the dishes.
• Find an easy recipe to use in the slow cooker or instant pot.
• Enlist the help of others in your household.
• Have a pot-luck.
• Accept any offers of guests to contribute food for a holiday event.

Overwhelmed with the thought of buying and wrapping gifts? You have permission to give the gift of time. For instance, you could create a gift certificate on your computer giving the other person a meal together at the restaurant of their choice. You also have permission to ask people for gift suggestions. Then you don’t have to guess what they might like or get them something that only creates clutter for them. For the wrapping: it doesn’t have to be perfect, just done! Use plain white, red, or green wrapping paper and dress up with a fancy bow. Try gift bags or boxes. Index cards cut in half make fine gift tags. An alternative idea: hire a personal concierge to purchase and wrap the gifts.

Have some decorations to be unpacked…still? You have permission to stop decorating right now. Decorations are there to help you enjoy the holidays. If you don’t like to decorate your space or if it doesn’t make you feel more festive once it’s decorated, just don’t. An alternative plan: delegate to other family members or to a company that specializes in decorating homes for holidays.

Haven’t sent holiday cards yet? You have permission to send cards at an alternative time. Suggestions include New Years, St. Patrick’s Day, April Fools, July 4th, or whenever the mood strikes you. I once received a holiday letter sent for April 15th! Of course, you can always change from “snail mail” cards to e-cards. You could even decide not to send cards at all! And the decision you make this year can be changed next year.

Feel compelled to take photos but don’t have a plan for what happens to the pictures after they are taken? You have permission to decrease your amount of time behind the camera (whether it’s the one on your phone or a separate device). You want enough pictures to capture the memories but not so many that it is arduous to process the photos later. Also, you don’t want to spend so much time behind the camera that you miss the event!

If you don’t have complete authority in one or more of these areas, take a moment to negotiate a compromise with the other person(s) with whom you “share jurisdiction.” And don’t be afraid to exercise your “no” muscle!

Don’t get overwhelmed by these choices! Choose one or two that work for you. Or maybe one of these suggestions gives you a completely different idea to decrease the holiday overwhelm. Just remember: enjoying the holidays often includes giving yourself permission to do some activities differently than you did in the past…and that’s okay!

Do you struggle with time management?  I’ve created a FREE resource for you! You can get it here.