Christmas Timing Strategies – Keep in Step with the Spirit
It’s time, former procrastinators, to strategize for Christmas by listing the tasks we anticipate and figuring out the actual time we’ll have to do them. Our calculations are never perfect but they position us to be realistic. For ladies with a bent toward putting things off, it can help get us moving.
This is a tool to help us pay attention to God’s Holy Spirit as He whispers to us during this season. Are we aiming for too much? Will we be able to relax any – and thus enable loved ones to relax? Are we moving too fast to listen to the Spirit when He prompts?
Follow these steps to get a realistic perspective on the time you have:
- When do you need to be ready?
- Write down all the things you want and need to do. Highlight the priorities. Make a reasonable estimate of the time required to accomplish each.
- Literally count the days on the calendar between now and your Christmas celebration.
- As far as you can tell, count the useable work days or hours available to you for preparation. These will be fewer than the count in number 3. I’ve learned to omit Sundays and days with sizeable commitments.
- Is the number of days or hours available to you sufficient for all you desire? Adjust by choosing to focus on priorities. Simplify and eliminate.
- Check for margin so you avoid putting yourself and others in a bind.
Adjust by choosing to focus on priorities. This is big. What are the few things that are most important to your family? Do those instead of stretching for everything you wish you could do. Rushing to cram in more activities no matter how potentially fun they might be simply takes away a lot of joy. Your family might be delighted to sit at home with a movie or book and share a bag of Oreos.
We want to celebrate Jesus not the season.
How many days do you have for Christmas Day preparations?
