Holiday Planning

Set the table: Planning for the holidays

Welcome back banter after the unplanned Covid-prompted break. Planning for the holidays is one of those recurring things for which you can get in a rhythm, even though this year might require a few modifications. Also, end of year holiday prep is most universal but a lot of this applies to any yearly event.  

 

Segment 1: The calendar

• Figure the dates and work backward

• Pro-tip: spread it out as able. [Example of Advent and the 12 Days of Christmas]

• Picture the event. Go though all the details you need to make it happen. 

  • decorations

  • food

  • gifts

  • overnight or out of town guests

  • your travel

• Layer in to dos for those things. For instance, do you need to send invites? Mark when they need to send and work backward from how long to prep them. Give yourself extra time if making a new list. 

  • do the same for sub lists, like gifts and menus. 

  • You will not only need shopping lists but a schedule for shopping and cooking. If you are going to cook the desserts and rolls the day before, schedule that to do. Yes, the day before and of will get very dense with to dos

• Now layer in other days and to dos. Are in-laws coming in 3 days before the event? What prep is needed for that? Airport pickups, new pillows for the guest bed—or a guest bed. Do you bake goodies for neighbors or co-workers? Think though the season

 

Segment 2: The Details

• Don’t sweat them. They aren’t the goal. But do them. This is a very life admin point. 

• These events have a lot of rhythm, family tradition. Don’t try to add or change too much at once, unless just married, just moved, or other big life events. 

• It will take you at least one cycle to get a truly decent to do list going. Some things you won’t remember until they come up. Other things you will realize aren’t necessary and will fall away.

• Make notes as you go and do a debrief

• Within a day or two of any event or every year happening, I make a debrief note. Each year I add the most current notes on top, so as the next year approaches, I can read the last couple of years of notes. Make a to do to read the debrief note about 2 months before the happening. 

 

 

Closing Thoughts