Ho Ho NO!A Guide to an Organized and

Stress-Free Holiday Season

What is the perfect holiday season for you?

Getting organized and clear on your focus is the key to creating a productive and stress-free November and December. (Think Ho Ho YES – not Ho Ho NO!!).

• Gather all your notes from previous years and sort them into categories.

• Place them all (neatly) into a binder, or box, or even a computer file.

• Everything in one place – the Holiday Notebook!

Where does it all go?

What are the elements of a stress-free end of the year?

When it comes to a stress-free year end, what are you aiming at?

Define Success

Break it down• Create two lists – one for

personal and one for business.• Write down EVERYTHING you

typically spend time on at the end of the year.

For instance …My Personal List

• Holiday Decorating – purchasing, putting up, buying tree, taking down• Cooking – planning menu, grocery shopping, baking, cleaning after

party• Socializing – work party, planning family get together, overnight guests,

making travel plans, cleaning & preparing for guests• Communicating – buying/making cards, addressing cards, phoning

relatives, sending emails• Gift Giving – managing the list, shopping, making gifts, wrapping,

delivering, exchanging, budgeting• Spiritual/Community – religious ceremonies, volunteering

• Divide a sheet of paper in thirds.• In the top section write “LOVE”, the middle

section write “OK”, and the bottom section write “YUCK”.

• Look at the list of everything you actually do during the holiday season. Place each of these activities into the LOVE, OK, or YUCK category.

The Blueprint

“Is this an activity I LOVE to do?” An activity that was on the very first list you created – one that is right in line with how you envision your perfect holiday.

“Is this an activity that I do, but don’t really have an attachment to it one way or the other?” Maybe your family loves the activity (cutting down a live tree, for example), or you’ve gone to the neighbor’s cookie exchange every year and really you could take it or leave it.

“Is this an activity that I dread doing?” Maybe you hate to bake – yet you give everyone homemade bread as gifts. Maybe the idea of hosting everyone at your house one more time is just causing you to wake up at night in a cold sweat.

The Blueprint

Follow Through• Now you know what you LOVE vs. what you’ll

delegate or eliminate.• Decide what you’ll do and when, and add

those tasks or activities to your calendar.

• How do you fill up your cup? • What activities GIVE you energy? • How can you recharge your batteries?

Stop – and really think about this!

But what about me?

• Schedule at least one relaxing activity into your calendar each week.

• Honor each appointment with yourself.

But what about me?

Fun with calendars• Create a master holiday calendar including start

dates, end dates, and the person responsible for each task.

• Add “check – in” dates for the tasks you have delegated.

• Use a blank paper calendar, put reminders in your phone, use online calendars

• The important part is that you start to fill in the dates!

Gift giving can be fun!• Wrap gifts as you purchase them.• Keep a running total of purchases to keep you

on budget.• Keep receipts in one envelope.• Keep a gift list with you all year.

Debrief!• Keep track of successes and things to tweak

for next year.• When do you want to start planning next

year? Mark your calendar now.• What do you wish you had done but didn’t

do?• What will you eliminate next year?

Would you like some support with your holiday plans?

Get even more specialized support for this busy time of year by purchasing the book “Ho Ho NO! Tips for a Stress-Free and Organized Holiday Season” from Amazon today!

Your purchase entitles you to special access to even more resources and checklists on our website.

Lisa Crilley MallisLisa Crilley Mallis, time strategy visionary, combines her experience in secondary education and her love of schedules, systems, and all things time management to create SystemSavvy Consulting, LLC. She is a master at cutting to the heart of overwhelm to help you regain control of your schedule and experience life. Lisa assists motivated direct sellers implement concrete techniques that can be applied immediately to their daily lives. Her enthusiasm for finding solutions is contagious, and her commitment to empowering clients to find success is transformational.www.SystemSavvyConsulting.comLisa@SystemSavvyConsulting.com