Tuesday, 6 February 2018

3 things you need to do now for next Christmas

Inside - Why we need to start planning for next Christmas in January

The kids are back at school, the skies are clear after the rainy weekend has passed, and thoughts are turning to hot cross buns.



We're not thinking about Christmas.

Christmas is 322 sleeps away.

But if we really want the amazing peaceful Christmas that we dream about every November, there are a few essentials that we need to put into place now.

Because it is impossible to have the perfect Christmas of our dreams without some planning in advance.

Sorry to be the bearer of that news.

These 3 steps can really take the stress and anxiety out of juggling Christmas dreams with Christmas reality.

1 - reflect on last Christmas

Reflection has really changed the way I do most things these days. Taking the time to think about the good things, and the challenging things, and thinking about how I'd like to make the next time better has really given me the space to plan and actually make those dreams reality.

You can download this handy 1 page sheet (no email required) to answer these 3 questions -

What 3 things were good about the holiday period?
What 3 things were challenging about the holiday period?
What 5 things would I like to do again next holiday period?

Then keep it somewhere safe until September.

2 - start a Christmas savings account

We all know money is the root of all evil. Or at least, that's how it feels when the budget is stretched thin in the weeks before Christmas. But I have found that even the smallest of savings accounts can help relieve some of that Christmas stress.

At the moment I put $10 each week into a savings account. It isn't much, but that small buffer can sometimes mean the difference between turkey on the table, or sausages.

3 - start writing lists

This is where my bullet journal comes in handy each year. Having one spot to capture all my collections (or lists) means that come Christmas I know where to look for the information. So, what lists do you need?

Start with ideas for presents. Or if you actually buy the presents through the year, note what you've purchased, who it's for, and where you've hidden it (because there's nothing worse than discovering a car track in the bottom of the wardrobe 3 years after you bought it.)

The real planning for Christmas starts in September, but doing these 3 things now will help you get started to a dreamy Christmas!

linking with Kylie Purtell Capturing Life
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5 comments

  1. Goodness, you're organised! I haven't thought about Easter yet! I'm with you on savings though, it's never too early to start!

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  2. Nooo...lol. It takes me 6 mths to recover.

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  3. Haha I like that you include "where you've hidden it". Did that come from experience? ;)

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  4. Nooo... just no. I'm honestly struggling with it being February. Once upon a time, I use to have my Christmas sorted by March. Those days and those priorities are long gone. In all seriousness, I'm contemplating cancelling Christmas altogether this year and going on a cruise.

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  5. You’re super organised and have some great tips here. I don’t really start thinking about Christmas preparation until September, which helps to spread the budget out over a few months. But this year I have started putting some money aside to cover back to school costs which fall right after Christmas and although I know they’re coming still catch me out every year! #teamIBOT

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