I’m back again with another tip for our first week of the BWP Plan More, Stress Less Holiday Preparation Countdown.
Think back on holidays past. How easy was it to make the celebrations you envisioned come to life, to meet everyones expectations, host gatherings, and prepare for all the events? Did you feel pressure to get it right, to go above and beyond? I don’t know about you, but I generally feel rushed, stretched too thin and a little more frazzled during the holiday season.
Its no wonder that the American Psychological Association reports 38% of people surveyed experienced increased stress during the holidays. This year, instead of stressing about the holidays, wouldn’t you rather take steps now to be prepared?
Imagine being able to create the atmosphere and environment you want for precious holiday memories. Spending quality time with friends and family. Knowing what you need to do and when you need to do it. Having a mechanism to deal with feeling, both positive and negative. Steadily making progress to tackle problem areas. And feeling ready to welcome guests and visitors without stressing about how things look.
Seems too good to be true? Its not as far fetched as it sounds.
And maybe surprisingly, it all starts with creating the space to plan. Do this one thing now and you’ll be on the right track to make Holiday preparations a breeze.
Why You Need a Planning Spot
It might sound a little mystical but I have found again and again that something good happens when you intentionally designate a place with a purpose. It can be somewhere permanent like a home office desk. Or it can be somewhere more temporary like the kitchen table or a particular spot on the couch.
Set your intention to make that be your planning spot, and equip it with the tools you need for various tasks, Once you have a place for planning, you’ll be far more likely go there and actually spend time making plans.
Make a place where you keep your pens, paper, planners and calendars. With everything you need within reach, its easier to sit down and get to planning.
It’s a key component of habit building. Come back to the same spot on a regular basis you start to build routines. Sit there to make your grocery lists, write in your journal, and review your calendar. The more you reinforce the practice, the easier it will be to maintain. Consistency is key so set reminders if you need them.
Making Space to Plan
Choose somewhere you feel comfortable sitting for a bit. You’ll also want a steady surface to write on and work from as well. Find a place where you can easily sit, read, write, ponder, and plan.
You’ll also need a space to store your planner, access your calendar, interact with the internet, and manage paper. Choose your desk and you may already have this set up. If you are creating a new space be sure to factor in where you will keep things when you are not using them. If you can’t have a dedicated planning spot, make sure you keep your stuff near by. File boxes, drawers, or totes keep things handy but make it easy to put away.
Other Considerations for Your Space
In addition to a place to sit, and your obvious planning stuff, there are a few other things you will wan’t to think about.
- Lighting – You don’t want to be straining your eyesight so consider if your spot has more mood lighting than functional lighting. Battery operated portable task lighting can be a reasonably priced solution and can be moved to where you need it most.
- Privacy – It might not be possible to totally escape but if you have the choice, pick somewhere that lets you avoid being interrupted constantly. If thats not possible in your house, choose somewhere where you can safely leave your plans and come back to them. A space with a door or a higher counter is better than the coffee table for protecting things from little hands or curious critters.
- Electronics – Will you use a computer, laptop or phone for planning? Make sure its somewhere with a convenient surge protector and extra charging cables.
- Music – Do you like mood music? Will you be able to play your tunes?I love a good playlist to get me in the grove and use both my phone and some portable bluetooth speakers.
Whichever space you choose, make sure its a place you want to spend some time. Outfit it with everything you need. Then start using it to make it a habit.
Did you like this tip? In the comments, tell me where you do your planning, what you consider, and how you make it yours.
Want to know how this fits into the plan to get your whole house decluttered, decorated, and clean for the Holidays? Sign up for a Ko-fi subscription to get the full 8 week planning workbook with all the exercises, checklists, and week-by-week plan to getting stuff done and stressing less this holiday season.
