At Just Say Glow, we are serious advocates for the benefits available from planning and goal setting. Besides getting more done in less time, we love the feelings of power and effectiveness we feel inside when we are operating within a framework and action plan we have created. In the article “10 Tips to a Stress-Free Holiday,” Beth Tabak gives some terrific guidance on how crafting a vision and identifying clear priorities can be particularly applied to make this busy time of year a more peaceful and rewarding one.
Her ideas include reflecting on past holidays and creating “What Works” and “Never Again” to do lists as well as choosing a theme that excites you to embody all your tasks and activities during this time. We especially like her idea for creating an activity Map, built around your individual priorities, to maximize the effectiveness of what you do (and don’t!) at this busy time. On spending time to make the Map, she writes:
What would happen if you took a big trip without planning? You would likely get lost, waste time, and experience anxiety. It makes sense to plan at the holidays when so many areas of our lives are effected: time, energy, personal care, relationships, physical environment, and finances. Create a task list thru the end of the year. Yes it takes a block of time and will save you time and stress. It will prevent you from running in circles, going back and forth to the same place, and trying to remember what’s next.
She suggests you create your Map on a sheet of paper, with your Theme as header and columns across the top labeled with your top 3 or 4 priorities (Beth uses Business, Personal, Holiday and Need List). The idea is to get every task or idea on there, make sure it’s important, and block time to address each item. Time is saved by not running in circles and hopefully you will direct more of your energy at the areas and activities you most enjoy or want to accomplish! Best of all, as you go about juggling and completing all your tasks, you are constantly reminded of the bigger picture you have crafted for what you want your life to feel like at this time.
What tips do you have for managing this busy time of year? Are there pitfalls you can help the rest of us avoid by offering your success strategies? Or just share what you most dislike or dread… or love!… about this time of year. We look forward to hearing from you!
For the full list of tips, click here:
http://1stholistic.com/reading/health/health-10-tips-for-a-stress-free-holiday.htm
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