The holiday season is upon us. If you are like me, you crave more joyful times with family and friends and less stress. Below are my 3 time management tips for a stress-free holiday season. Enjoy!
- Get Zen – According to time management expert, David Allen of Getting Things Done (GTD) fame, what you want to do is get everything out of your head and into a trusted system. Allen calls this “mind like water.” Whether you use a technology based system such as Evernote or pen and paper, go ahead and get everything out of your head. You’ll instantly feel better.
- Make a list – When I say make a list, I am talking way beyond the traditional gift list. Because there are only 5 weeks left till the end of the year, this is a great time to make a list of everything you have to get done before the year ends. Make a list for every area of your life, holiday, work, family and of course your gift list. Once you have your list, no doubt massive at this point, you’ll need to pare it down.
- Delete, Delegate, Defer, – I’m a HUGE fan of asking for help and encourage clients to do so as often as possible. Are there things on your list that you can delegate to your partner, kids or other family members? Go ahead and do so. Are there things on your list that don’t need to get done before the end of the year? Delete them from this list and defer them till next year. Go through your list and see if there are things you can outsource. There is an excellent company called Task Rabbit that can help you with anything from picking up dry cleaning to spreadsheets to holiday gift shopping. Your list should have things on it that only you can do.
- Don’t break the bank – To reduce stress during the holiday season, avoid depleting your resources – whether that is money, time or energy. Enjoy this holiday season in a state of abundance and joy!
Now that you’ve cleared your head and let go of things that you don’t need to do yourself, you can focus on what’s really important – the warmth and love of family and friends. Have a wonderful holiday season!