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Make a to-do list and check it twice: Organizing during the holidays

By Abigail Martin

 

I don’t know about anyone else, but this holiday season really snuck up on me! This year, I have joined lots of new clubs and as due dates for both tasks in and outside of school are multiplying, I have quickly discovered that I need to get organized. I created a system that works for me to organize my tasks so I can increase efficiency and productivity. 

 

Make One Calendar for All of Your Projects

I decided to go with a calendar approach. My to-do list system has been really working for me in terms of smaller tasks like homework and quick to-dos, however, for bigger tasks, I needed a birds-eye view. I decided on a whole monthly spread with big margins for my sticky note to do lists. Make sure to figure out how big these margins really are before printing… My calendar is super tiny because I wanted big margins, this might not work for you!

 

While some people may have a school calendar and a personal calendar, I find that combining the two can make your life so much easier in the long run. While I do highlight all of my events according to their “type” (club deadlines, school deadlines, events, and personal deadlines) I merge them all onto the master calendar. 

 

Mark Down All Mini Holiday Activities in Your Calendar

I totally understand pushing off boring, personal projects until the last minute like writing thank you notes and wrapping gifts until the last minute, however, if you schedule them onto your calendar, you are more likely to get them done early. 

 

Clean up Your Space

I always feel so much better when my room, my desk, and my closet are organized, so if you are in need of some organization, start with your room. Put all of your clothes away or tackle a junk drawer. This is also a great time to put decorations up and donate used clothes to those in need. If nothing else, you will have a wonderful clean space to work and (hopefully) some motivation to get some things off your to-do list done.

 

Mark Your Christmas Deliveries on Your Calendar

There is nothing worse than setting aside the time, energy, and patience to wrap Christmas presents and realising that they all haven’t come in the mail yet. Once retailers send you a shipping notification, mark down the expected delivery in your calendar. That way, you will only have to wrap presents once!

 

Schedule Some Down Time

Don’t make yourself so busy that you can’t enjoy the holidays! Schedule in some time to do nothing and relax. Put on some carols, kick off your shoes, munch on some cookies, and give yourself a break.

 

This time of year is always a little stressful no matter how organized you are, and when you throw in the pandemic on top of this, it becomes even more so. However, putting yourself in the best position to succeed can make all the difference in creating a wonderful holiday season!

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