Prepping for the Season

Something that I never understand, especially around the holidays, is the complaints I hear from others about their lives. How busy it is, how they can’t keep up, how they don’t like doing certain things.

I don’t understand it because it’s their life. It’s their call, their decision to do any of these things, or not do them.

What’s Going On Brainstorm

Take a moment and brainstorm for 15 minutes all the things that you have going on for the rest of the year. Include things like the following:

• What’s already scheduled for the rest of the year?
• What are things you did last year that you plan to do again?
• Include mundane tasks and chores, along with the bigger events that happen during the holiday season.

I really want you to spend 15-20 minutes doing this and jot down every little thing that you do. Push yourself to keep thinking even when you’ve thought you’ve got it all.

Note: Just do this on any sheet of paper you have.

Categorizing your list.

With the list that you brainstormed, categorize them into the following:

• I enjoy doing
• My family enjoys
• Other people enjoy
• No one enjoys it
• This doesn’t need to happen now (just cross those off)

Repeat your to do’s through each one.

There’s no reason to be doing things that no one enjoys, so just cross those to do’s off your list!

Now, go through and highlight the to do’s that YOU enjoy doing in one color.

Repeat that and highlight what your family enjoys in another color.

Download the Categorizing Your To Do’s Sheet

Saying No

This holiday season, and further throughout the upcoming year, push yourself to say no to those things that you don’t really enjoy.

Take a look at your Categorizing Your To Do’s sheet, and ask yourself if you can say No to the things that are not highlighted at all.

If you or your family does not enjoy doing them, ask yourself: “Why should we make our lives more crazy if we don’t enjoy this?”

If there’s no way around it, can you find a way to make it easier for yourself?

There’s a lot of should do’s in every day life, and even more during the hectic holiday season. Be conscious of the reason why you’re doing everything on your to do list.

Make a Plan

Don’t overbook yourself during the holiday season. It can be pretty easy to do!

I do two things when I’m planning anything.

1. I keep a physical calendar available in the kitchen. This is for my family to see (mostly my husband and myself). This is the family’s commitments for the upcoming weeks.
2. I keep an online calendar (I use Google Calendar) and keep this on my phone. I keep all the same family’s commitments stored in it, plus any other little tasks for myself (like shopping, work related obligations and so forth).

The online calendar is a replica of my physical calendar plus more tasks. This way, I always have my true commitments in front of me, whether while I’m away (I have my phone), or if someone calls me at home, I can see it on the physical calendar. Plus, my husband can see it there and remind of upcoming events.

Create a plan for the upcoming holiday season. Write down when those To Do’s happen, or when you’d like to make them happen.

And when something comes up, you can quickly glance at it and see if you have time, or not (and then just say No).

Download these monthly calendars for November & December

Your Homework this Month:

1. Download and print out this month’s calendar and put it somewhere you’ll see every day
2. Download this month’s supply list and check your stock to see what you need. Add to your supply as needed.
3. Download and print out this month’s weekly activity plans. Let your child(ren) look through them to see the fun they’ll be having soon! Have fun doing these with your kids!
4. Brainstorm and do a brain dump of everything you have going on from now until the end of the year.
5. Categorize your to do list. Download the Categorizing Your To Do’s Sheet
6. Make a plan and don’t overbook. Download these monthly calendars for November & December
7. Practice saying No to things you and your family don’t enjoy.
8. Report how this goes in the The Activity Room: Member’s Only Facebook group (this is a private group).