Have a Hassle-Free Holiday Season
By Kathy Gates

Do you know that some people actually relish the hustle and bustle, the crowded parking lots, and the singing Santas that come with the holiday season?

But even if you're not one of them, you can have a hassle-free holiday. Try these simple steps to put you in the mood for a happy, healthy, easier holiday season.

Make a Detailed Plan

1. Buy a spiral notebook that will be used as your holiday planning guide. (I keep mine from year to year, stored with my wrapping, so that I can remember what I gave to who the year before, correct addresses, etc.)

2. Prepare a separate page for individual lists of things you need to do
(travel plans, gift list, card list, special dinner list, special clothing list, decorations list -- whatever applies to your holiday style). Under each heading, write the specifics -- people and gift ideas, dinner menu and ingredients, travel itinerary. If several of these things go together, I tend to put them all on one page. For example, "Party at Judy's -- December 2," would include the outfit I want to buy, the food I'm preparing, and the gift I'm taking.

3. On each page, put the approximate amount of time you think it will take to accomplish each of your lists -- shopping for gifts, writing cards, wrapping, setting up the tree, cleaning the house for guests, etc. -- then DOUBLE IT, and schedule it.

Don't Procrastinate! First Things First

1. Put your energy where it counts. Need to ship gifts? Buy those first. If you have a party on November 22, and another one on December 5, be sure to put your energy into November 22 first. You'll feel like you've accomplished something instead of being scattered.

2. Schedule specific times to shop, clean, pack, etc. Stick to the plan.
If you're a natural procrastinator, this is the hard part. Write it down in
big letters, post it on the door, on the refrigerator, in the car. Set yourself up to shop, clean and pack at certain times, and keep the reminders in front of you at all times.

3. Do a little each day. Write out three things (for example, buy Christmas Cards, get out decorations, order Bob's gift from JCPenney's) you would like to take care of each day between now and Christmas, and do them BEFORE LUNCH each day.

Avoid Distractions (or at least prepare for them)

1. Watch out for clutter at this time of year. With the extra decorations in place, ordinary clutter can be a real distraction. Get those extra magazines, books, and "stuff" into some boxes and shove it under the bed or into the garage for the holidays. After the holidays, you just might decide you like the cleaner feeling and decide to sell some of it.

2. Forgo window shopping for more targeted shopping. Do some initial looking and planning from catalogues and the Internet, so that when you have the time to be in the stores, it will be productive.

3. Be aware of your personal habits that tend to distract you. Have a plan to head them off. What usually slows you down -- lack of money; lack of time; lack of energy? Actively look for ways to head this off. If there's no extra money at the beginning of November, it's not likely to materialize the day before Christmas.

Have FUN!

1. Take time for yourself -- just 20 minutes a day will do -- to recharge, refresh and rejoin the holiday spirit.

2. Listen to happy, silly holiday songs, not the solemn ones.

3. Make it a priority to schedule in what you consider the "fun" part of the holidays, whether that's throwing a party, spending a quiet night with your special someone, or going out to look at holiday lights. It's only once a year -- enjoy it!

Having a hassle-free holiday season really can be accomplished with a little preplanning and a little patience. Use these ideas, keep your big-picture goals in mind, and you'll have a happy, healthy, hassle-free holiday season.

Professional Life Coach Kathy Gates helps people who are burned out, stressed out, and fed up to get back in touch with the foundations of their life. Contact her at http://www.reallifecoach.com

SMART Goals for the Holiday Season

SMART goals have been around a long time, and you'll probably see the acronym used in several different ways. I've always found that it's a good
way to help remember what you're trying to accomplish, so try the SMART
system to ease your holiday stress.

S - Specific

Make your goals for the holidays as specific as possible. How much money do you want to spend on gifts? Do you want to volunteer some time this year? What are you tired of doing and would rather delegate? Be sure to tell those who need to know the specifics of your goals. Don't say," I want to spend less money this year." Instead, decide exactly what that means. "I want to spend a total of $__ on gifts, with $__ for immediate family, $__ for...." You get the idea.

M - Motivational

What motive is behind your holiday work? Is it purely an expectation, or is it a time that you look forward to each year? Do you feel good about what happens during the holidays; do you get a sense of satisfaction? If not, look for what would make you feel good, and try to create a balance between what others expect of you and what's really important to you.

A - Achievable

Look for what's achievable. What can you realistically expect to accomplish? If money is tight this year, it's not realistic to go the cash route. If relationships are strained, it's not realistic to think that the holidays will heal all wounds. Don't try to overdo, and don't try to make things into something that isn't really there.

R - Real To Me

Look for the real meaning of the holidays to you. The media hype tends to make us think that unless we have the perfect Norman Rockwell setting, with the perfect Brady Bunch family, we've failed. But it's about what's real to you. It may be religious, or it may not be. It may mean family and friendships, or it may mean vacation time for skiing in the mountains. Everyone has their own interpretation of what the holidays mean to them. Be true to yours.

T - Trackable

All goals, even short-term holiday ones, need to be trackable. You will need to record your success, and give yourself some credit instead of letting the naysayer in your head take control. Focus on what you have done, not all that's left to be done. And give yourself some congratulations on a regular basis for doing the boring, everyday things (like making the beds or cleaning the oven).