Surviving the Silly Season
It is the beginning of December…
that means one thing… silly season. Graduations, end-of-year functions, schools
closing, concerts, buying presents, planning for the holidays, planning
Christmas dinner and lunch, New Year’s party and back-to-school are all
synonymous with the silly season. One is bound to lose your marbles.
4 key tips
1.
Breathe!
2.
Plan, plan, plan on a daily basis.
3.
Delegate responsibilities.
4.
Relax! Remember to have fun, this too shall
pass.
Planning for the week ahead and
then on a daily basis, is essential. Don’t get too bogged down about everything
that must still happen. Focus daily on your tasks and you will get through all
of it.
Christmas planning
1.
Plan your presents
a.
I go through all the contacts on my phone to
double check that I have everybody on my list.
b.
Decide on an overall budget for all your
presents.
c.
Take each person on your list and allocate an
amount to them.
d.
Decide on the present, voucher, cash you want to
give to each person.
e.
Make a list of all the presents, group them
together as per the shops you need to go to. This will make shopping super
quick and you will not spend more than what you planned to or can afford.
f.
The fun part is the wrapping. For me, how you
present the gift is more valuable than the gift itself.
g.
Remember handwritten cards. It gives a special,
personal touch to your gift.
h.
If you can’t by the gifts all at the same time,
prioritise the buying of the gifts, e.g. gifts for teachers must be done before
school close, etc.
i.
My goal is to have present-shopping done by the
end of November.
2.
Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas day lunch
a.
Putting the right menu together and preparing
all of it, can be stressful.
b.
In the beginning of December, plan your menus
and table décor.
c.
Make a list of all the ingredients and décor you
will need.
d.
Buy what you can in advance.
e.
Make a list of what must be bought and prepared
a week before the time, 2 days before the time, 1 day before the time and on
the day. This will take a lot of stress out of it.
f.
Delegate where you can.
Holidays
1.
Do not over-indulge! You will regret this when
you return to exercise after the holidays.
2.
Stay healthy and keep on exercising, even if it
is walking.
3.
Focus on portion control, make healthy choices
at the restaurants and have treats in moderation.
4.
If you are going away, plan for the holidays.
a.
Make lists of what you need to take with and
shop accordingly.
b.
Include everybody in the household with the
packing and the unpacking on the other side.
c.
Put your feet up, relax and have fun.
Back-to-school
1.
Get the necessary stationery lists from the
school.
2.
Check against what you have and make a list of
things you need to buy.
3.
Shop accordingly, mark the stationery and put it
in their schoolbags.
4.
Remember to check the quality and size of their
school uniforms and shoes. Shop accordingly when you come back from holiday if
your child is experiencing a growth-spurt, otherwise, refer point 5 below.
5.
Do these before you go on holiday, then you
don’t have to worry about this, nor do you have to deal with busy stationery
shops and out-of-stock issues.
The silly season is the end of
the year. However, sometimes stressful, this is also the time to reflect back
on your year – what you did well and what you need to improve on. It is a time
to focus on your goals and what is good for you. Holiday time is bonding time
with your family and loved-ones.
Happy organizing!
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Adele