Last year I developed a new system that really helped me. Here’s my 12 month Christmas plan to prepare for a less stressful, more fun holiday season next year!
I will start by saying this: This 12 month Christmas plan really works, and it works even if you do it completely imperfectly. By the end of the season last year, I was feeling fed-up and tired of always being unprepared when Christmas season arrived. I felt like I was getting a little better at the whole thing every year, but I was still feeling really behind, rushed, and overwhelmed by the whole Christmas season and every little detail that needs to be taken care of to make sure that everyone in the family has a magical season and creates happy memories. I would start thinking about Christmas really early every year – as early as August or September, but it still wasn’t quite enough. Last year I decided to break it all down into baby steps that I would complete over the entire year. I didn’t always get everything done that I set out to do every single month because of normal life and then all the lockdowns that we had on top of it, but what I did manage to get done definitely made a very big difference. I will absolutely be following this same plan again this year and maybe I’ll even do a little better at it! Here’s the breakdown of how my Christmas planning system works.
How This Works
Every month, I’ll share a short list of three to five actionable items. These will be little baby steps that you can take care of to get some of the tasks you might normally find yourself doing in December done well ahead of time. The goal here is to free you up to actually enjoy the holiday season as much as possible and to leave some time for things like spontaneous baking, winter walks with the family, fun decor projects, and things like that without making you feel stressed out about all the stuff you’re putting off doing, because all of the “have to do” stuff will already be done!
The Monthly Countdown Lists
Here are the links to the list for each month of the year that I completed for last year’s Christmas countdown. Click on the month you’d like to read about and follow along with the simple tasks that we’ll be completing for that month. Each list of baby steps doesn’t take long to complete at all, but you’ll be amazed at what a difference you’ll notice by the end of the year, even if you miss a step or two.
What to do in January to Prepare for Christmas
What to do in February to Prepare for Christmas
What to do in March to Prepare for Christmas
What to do in April to Prepare for Christmas
What to do in May to Prepare for Christmas
What to do in July to Prepare for Christmas
What to do in September to Prepare for Christmas
What to do in October to Prepare for Christmas
What to do in November to Prepare for Christmas
What to do in December to Prepare for Christmas
I’ll be making little updates here and there as I go through the process again this year so check back often!
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