Stay on track during the busy holiday season

Having a hard time keeping track of everything in December? The holidays are a busy time for many people, with parties, activities, and usual appointments and errands – and that doesn’t even cover everything that needs to be done! For many people, their “to do” list can be never ending. While you may have tasks written down or programmed into your phone with reminders, it can be easy to ignore them when times get busy and stressful. Here are some suggestions on how you can stop ignoring your to-do list and keep on top of all your tasks:

Use a calendar

If you have any appointments or events coming up this month, make sure you book them directly into your calendar, whether it is electronic or manual. With an electronic calendar, you can email yourself reminders in advance, so you won’t forget about them or double book yourself. By using a calendar, you can also get a good view of what other activities you have coming up in the week or month, so you can plan ahead. Don’t be afraid to use your calendar for smaller reminders as well, like when to defrost the turkey, when to wrap gifts, and when to go shopping.

Organize tasks into categories or projects

If you have a big project to work on or have multiple tasks that fit into one category (like “holiday meal”), only set one reminder to review the project or category. In your reminder you can list all of the tasks that need to be completed, but don’t set a reminder for each separate task. This will quickly fill up your calendar and can make you feel overwhelmed. By setting up only one reminder, you can keep all the tasks related to that one project or category together. When you categorize tasks or activities, you can focus on the big picture and stay on track..

Use a digital app for your lists 

If you prefer checking off tasks on a to-do list, consider using an app on your phone that will help you keep track of what you need to get done. Apps like ASANA and Wunderlist have robust search features and a great task list that can help you record everything. They even let you categorize tasks into separate folders, so you can keep all related tasks together in one place. With a digital to-do list, you can also set reminders to be emailed to you or sent to your phone. You also don’t have to worry about losing or misplacing your list if you keep it on your phone – some apps even have the option of exporting your list or accessing it on a desktop for added security.

Make it visible

When you’re figuring out what you need to do, make sure you record your tasks or events in a place that you are sure to check regularly. If you have a calendar in your office but you never go in there, then you shouldn’t use it to record your holiday events and tasks. Instead, use your phone or electronic calendar, which you may be more likely to check regularly. For families, it is also important to make sure everyone is on the same page. Consider syncing your online calendars together or setting up a large format calendar in your kitchen or family room where everyone can see it and stay up to date on what is going on and what needs to be done. You can also use it to delegate tasks to each person, so everyone knows what they are responsible for doing.

Don’t take on more than you can

You can only stay on track of your holiday tasks if you have a manageable number of tasks to complete. If you try to take on more than you are actually able, you will have a much harder time trying to get things done on time and done properly. Don’t be afraid to get help from family and friends for holiday tasks like preparing for meals, decorating, and shopping for gifts. It’s also okay to say no to events or activities if you can’t make room in your schedule. Instead, try and plan get togethers after the holidays, so you don’t have to worry about making time for everyone.

If you have a lot that needs to be done during the holidays, make sure you take the time to properly plan and organize your tasks, so you can stay on track during the busy season. Find a method that works for you – one that won’t let you ignore or forget important appointments, events, and tasks. During the holidays, you can stay on top of everything and still have time to enjoy the season!

Plan your new year resolutions!

The holiday season may just be starting, but that doesn’t mean it’s too early to start planning about your New Year resolutions. If you want to be successful in 2019 with your goals, start planning your strategy now. Resolutions that are started last minute typically don’t end well – if you don’t have reasonable goals set in place and a plan to follow, you’re more likely to drop your resolution before spring.

Take the time now to start thinking about what it is you want to achieve in the new year. Is it an organized home? A more active lifestyle? Whatever it may be, use the tips below to start creating a plan you are sure to succeed at.

Think through your resolutions

Before you can start a plan of action, you need to think hard about what resolutions you want to set for yourself. Your resolutions need to be something that you really want to achieve, something that you are willing to accomplish or change about yourself, and something that you are actually capable of achieving. If you already know you have a busy year ahead, maybe there are some resolutions that won’t realistically work, like finding the time to exercise more. However, there may be big life events happening that fit in with your resolutions – like getting organized to prepare for moving to a new home. The key to your success is you, and depending on your resolutions, the people around you. Consider whether or not your resolutions are really what you want and what will work with your lifestyle before you start planning how you will accomplish them in the new year.

Start small and make your resolutions manageable

It’s important to make sure your resolutions are reasonable. Keep in mind that you won’t be able to achieve all that you want to do within the first couple of months of the new year. Start small, and work from there. If you set yourself up with high expectations or difficult tasks at the beginning, you may get discouraged and abandon your resolutions. This is why planning for your resolutions ahead of time is important. For example, if you want to organize your home, you can’t organize your entire house, or even an entire room in the first week of January. Getting organized can be a stressful and lengthy process that requires patience and dedication in order to maintain long-term. Instead, start your plan with small tasks, like focusing your organizing efforts on one item in one area of your home, like books in your living room or linens in your linen closet. This is an easy and manageable task that can be a stepping stone to larger projects once your momentum grows. As the months go on, you may find yourself with the time and motivation to tackle a room like your kitchen or bedroom once you’ve found success with other smaller projects.

Set reasonable goals and targets

 A resolution for the new year is exactly that: for the whole year. When you’re planning, make sure you take the time to assign yourself goals and targets throughout the year, and be reasonable about it. Keep the end goal in sight at all times and set benchmarks along the way to keep on track and boost confidence. Setting benchmarks along the way can help you check in with your progress and make sure you are sticking to your plan. Remember to be reasonable, and know you aren’t likely to see results right away. Your resolution will take time to achieve, so be patient and don’t give up.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help

Sometimes it’s helpful to get a bit of help along the way. For example, maybe organizing is becoming overwhelming – don’t be afraid to reach out and get help. If you’re trying to stay active, join a fitness class or get a work-out buddy to go on runs or walks with you. Your environment greatly impacts your success, so make sure the people around you are on board with your resolution. If you want to get your space organized, you won’t be able to achieve it if your family or roommates keep adding clutter or don’t properly store items. Depending on your resolution, it may be important to get help from professionals or the people around you.

Stay positive throughout the process

 As mentioned earlier, the success of your resolutions depends on your motivation to achieve them. If you become disheartened or lose enthusiasm, it will be much harder for you to continue your action plan. Stay positive, and remember that even if you have a setback, it isn’t the end. You have a plan, it’s thought out, and you can achieve it. This is a resolution for the year, not the month of January. It may seem like a long and daunting process, but it can be done. Keep the big picture in mind to keep your motivation but work on each target at a time so you don’t get lost or fall behind. Remember what motivated you to start in the first place and hold onto it. It may help to write it down when you’re planning your resolutions as a reminder for when things get hard or you lose motivation.

Whatever you set out for yourself to achieve in 2019 can be accomplished if you take the time to plan and think through your resolutions. Before the busy holiday season begins, reflect on what it is you want to do in the new year, and who you want to be, so you can have a solid plan to follow when January comes.

Skip the holiday shopping rush!

It may only be October but before we know it, the holiday season will be here! In order to avoid the long line ups and last minute shopping in cold weather, try out these five suggestions on how to beat the holiday rush this season!

Order online

The easiest way to avoid the holiday rush is order your gifts from the comfort of your home - no need to worry about making it out to the mall after work or over the weekend. Instead, take time whenever you’re free to browse different retailers on line, and take advantage of sales or free shipping offers. If you aren’t always home during the day, you can have the items shipped to work. Some retailers will even let you ship items to the store, so you can pick it up during non-rush periods or whenever you have time.

Don’t wait around

Just because you’re shopping for the holidays doesn’t mean you have to wait for the holiday season to start shopping. You can start scoping out products or thinking of ideas year-round, as early as January! Whenever you get an idea or think of something that might work, write it down or purchase it in advance - don’t wait until the last minute. When you shop during non-peak or seasonal periods, you can often get good deals on popular items and cut back on your spending for holiday gifts. Just keep in mind that if you do start shopping earlier, you’ll need to have a place to store your items that is out of reach from prying eyes!

Make your gift

If you have a talent or hobby, put it to good use over the holidays and make your gifts from scratch! Not all gifts have to be extravagant and purchased from a store - homemade gifts are just as good, and even more special, because of the time you spent making it for your friends and family. Consider baking holiday treats and chocolates, and putting together gift baskets and boxes for friends and co-workers. If you like doing crafts, make a wreath or holiday centre piece that family can use to decorate their homes. If you have people on your list that are always busy or are going through a difficult time, consider pre-making frozen meals or putting together a meal basket with all the items needed to throw together a quick meal. Homemade gifts can be beautiful and practical!

Give an experience

What’s the best way to avoid the holiday rush? Don’t give a gift at all! Instead, give your friends and family the gift of an experience. Set-up a time to go on a movie night, participate in a cooking class, or go see a concert coming to town. This way, you don’t have to worry about making it to the store on time and wrapping a gift to give. Even better, experiences can be fun and memorable, without adding more clutter or objects to our homes and our lives. Going to a paint night or treating people to a nice meal out is something you can both enjoy together. It doesn’t have to be during the busy holiday season either. Make plans to go during a time that works best for everyone involved so you truly enjoy the experience without having to squeeze it in between other holiday events. A gift doesn’t always have to be a physical object.

Change your gift giving strategy

Shopping during the holidays can be stressful especially for people that have a long list of gifts to buy. Starting early and following the previous suggestions may help relieve the stress, might still doesn’t help the financial strain. Why not try changing the way you give gifts? Consider hosting a “Secret Santa” gift swap, or holding a gift exchange so each person involved is only responsible for buying one gift. Not only will it alleviate the time and money spent on gifts, it can make for a fun activity during the holidays! Also consider going together to buy one large group gift for someone. For example, if you’re buying a gift for your parents, decide on a larger item as a gift and go in together with your siblings. This way, everyone only needs to worry about one gift and you can share the responsibility of buying it, picking it up and wrapping it.

The holidays are supposed to be a peaceful and relaxing time, but end up being stressful because of the amount of events and tasks we “need” to do, like shopping for gifts. This year, skip the rush of holiday shopping and make sure you can actually enjoy the holiday season.