By Amanda Farris, Miss November 2015

It’s crunch time for the holiday season! We all just wrapped up a busy Thanksgiving week and are now making sure we have our to-do lists checked off for Christmas and trying to juggle our regular to do lists as well. Time management is essential. Really time management is essential any time of the year because busy is simply a part of our culture and who we are.  Busy is not unique to any one person or season of life, it’s a constant. But, it is how we handle our schedules that matter. It’s our attitudes that matter. 

As I was thinking about the “Abundance” theme for this month the thought of an “abundance of time” came to my mind. I’m sure we all wish we had an abundance of time to get things done and to still have time to do all the things we want to do. But one thing is certain, there are only 24 hours in every day. It’s the same every single day. We can’t pack in more hours to make handling our to-do lists easier.  But, we can manage our time wisely and let things go that aren’t as important, especially during this holiday season. 

Time Management 

For me, this means making sure my Christmas notebook is ready to go.

It means, putting some of my blogging goals on hold until after the holidays so that I don’t short change my family and rob them of time and attention.

It means shortening my holiday to do list and only keeping the things that my family truly enjoys doing. A tradition isn’t fun if it’s forced every year. Keep your holiday traditions narrowed down to ones that everyone enjoys and aren’t stressful.

It means making a daily list of what needs to be done, but being more realistic about what I can really do in our 24 hour days. 

Time management during the holidays means making and prioritizing time for the things that matter and letting other things slide until next month. You have to be realistic about what you can really do in a day and cut the things that you can’t make happen. 

Making Time

Here are a few things I plan to make time for this season:

 

• Host a ladies ornament exchange in my home and try a new recipe. Lots of silly games will be played! This is important to me because it serves others and builds community. 
• Host a Christmas tea for my little girl and her friends. Annual traditions that make sweet memories build a strong family culture. She’s 6 now and I hope to still be doing this when she is 26! 
• Go out on a Christmas date with my man and reminisce over the past year 
• Make Ornaments with my kids for the annual cousin homemade ornament exchange 
• Continue teaching my kids about the true Hero story of Christmas
• Watch at least 4 cheesy Christmas movies
• Pull out our Money Jars
• Deliver goodies to people in my small rural town and share the love of Jesus with them
• Teach my kids all the verses of at least one Christmas hymn
• Snail mail our annual Christmas letter to keep up with friends and family (Snail mail is fun during the holidays!)  
• Play Christmas music every day
• Decorate my front porch 

 

I plan on managing my time this holiday season in such a way that prioritizes family, building community, and showing love to others.

 

What things do you always try to make time for each year during the holidays?

What things do you let slide on your to-do list during the holidays so that you can prioritize other things?