Holiday Planning – Step 2 – List It All Out

786818_91524700Intro to Holiday Planning

Step 1 – Let’s Get Real

This step involves making a list of EVERYTHING you want to do for the holiday next year. If you are planning out more than one holiday, you will want to list everything you want to do for each holiday — it might be easier to complete this process for one holiday at a time.

On this list you will include:

  • the things you HAVE to do
  • the things you try to shove in every year
  • the things you wish you could do and never make it to (or even try to drag the family to, but end up frustrated with them that they can’t get it together) 

Make the list!  Put it all down.

The list is key because many of us have pictures in our head of what the holiday will be like.  Some of us have utterly unrealistic expectations of what is reasonable to do in one short period of time.  Some of us are pushing so hard to pack every ounce of fun into every moment of the holiday that we are creating a season of stress and misery for the very people we’re trying to force to have fun! The irony is huge!

The first time I listed out everything I was shocked!

Once we hit the first of September, and through the first week of January, we have:

4 family birthdays (including a birthday for twins that involves gift buying for two people)

4 birthdays for the family we are closest to and with whom we coordinate all of our birthday planning so as not to overlap

3 Feasts and Festivals

Thanksgiving (which we normally host)

Hanukkah

Christmas Eve with my family

Christmas Day movie attendance

New Year’s Eve

A New Year’s Day Wafflethon that we attend every year and for which we provide the Gluten Free/Allergy Sensitive batter

In addition, the last two years I added working at football games and a fundraiser that has me working at least 3-4 shifts a week (4 hours per shift) and unable to do much crafting/gift making at all because of the impact to my hands.

I do this step by going through last year’s calendar and looking at everything that is there. This way I’m not relying too heavily on my memory.  Then I added all of the things I thought I should be doing and was still beating myself up for not including.

Step 3 will be what to do with this list, but for now, just make the list.  If your list does what mine did and grows to over 6 pages, remember this is not a time for beating yourself up — the go-to response of people who struggle to stay on top of their lives.  Rather, use this opportunity to realize why you’ve felt so stressed in your efforts to get on top of things.

Set yourself up for success

None of the people you have compared yourself to — the people who always seem on top of their lives and have it all organized and are ready when the holidays come around — none of them are trying to do all that you are trying to do.  They do these things intuitively or learned them at some point.  You didn’t.  They aren’t better people — they just have these skills!

If you have unrealistic goals, it’s not fair to beat yourself up about not being able to meet them! Set yourself up for success! Extend yourself some love and grace!

As you do this step, please share anything you find enlightening or amusing — it can be super encouraging!

 

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