WHETHER THIS TIME of year makes you feel merry and gay or ‘bah humbug’, there is no getting away from it. The holidays are coming, the silly season is upon us.
In order to avoid a negative response in January to that familiar greeting “How did you get over the Christmas?” here are a couple of tips to avoid the madness and have a bit more time to spend under the mistletoe.
Plan in advance, it’s no longer cool to be a Christmas Eve shopper. Write a list of the presents you need to buy. Sounds simplistic, but many don’t do it and go around with a list in their heads.
Head lists take up valuable processing space in a mind that should be focusing on fun and relaxation at this time of year. Even the big guy makes a list and he even checks his twice. Thirty minutes spent with a pen and paper now will avoid the stress of last minute shopping for the things (or the people) you forgot about.
Aside from the presents there are the parties, menus and guests that have to be thought about. Decide which occasions you are going to cater for and organise menus well in advance. Take a photo of your recipes with your phone so that you will have the ingredients with you whenever you go shopping. Alternatively you could use a program such as Evernote and clip a recipe from the internet which can be tagged and retrieved when out shopping.
Now you know what you want to do – but it doesn’t mean you have to do it all yourself. Delegate and call in the helpers. Share out the work: people would much rather help out than to see you frazzled and not able to enjoy the season.
Remember on the day to include everyone in the preparation of the dinner – all those who aren’t busy with Santa presents are eligible. If they miss the Queen’s speech you can always have a copy of The King’s Speech at hand; I hear it has greater entertainment value.
The good news is you can breathe a sigh of relief this year; you no longer have to live up to the proverbial Joneses. They haven’t a bean either.
This is a good time to set your own standards and create your own traditions. Going into debt for one day of the year is not very clever so only buy gifts that are essential. Make a deal with friends not to buy each other gifts. Get the children to make gifts for their teachers and friends.
If your kids want to give gifts, encourage them to spend from their own money box. Anything that is going to put your under financial strain in January should be avoided.
Ask yourself: What does Christmas mean to you? For me it’s a time of gratitude, a time to appreciate my family and friends and create special memories together. The good news is it doesn’t cost much to do that. By understanding and embracing the true meaning of Christmas, the urge to splurge on unnecessary gifts should pass you by.
The holidays are a time to reunite with family and friends and whether you believe in the religion behind the celebration or not, we can all look beneath the tinsel and the glitter to the beautiful gift of togetherness and enjoy the season for what it should be.
Ciara Conlon is a productivity coach and the author of Chaos To Control: A Practical Guide To Getting Things Done. Subscribe to her blog at ciaraconlon.com and you will receive a discount on her interactive online course Get Set for Success, 7 Weeks to a Happier More Organised You plus two free chapters from her book.
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