How to Survive the Holiday Season: 5 Top Tips

similar green dress (similar) |  similar gold pumps
similar christmas tree | red/gold ornaments (similar)

The holidays are here!  There is so much to celebrate this time of year and I absolutely love all the celebrations, traditions, and time with family that goes along with it.  I will admit, it’s also such a busy time of year as well and oftentimes I feel like there’s not enough time to get it all done.  I’m sharing 5 of my tips to surviving the holidays when your todo list is miles long!

How to Survive the Holiday Season:

TIP 1: Get A Walmart+ Membership

Stores are crazy this time of year so I take advantage of services that let me avoid the headache and hassle of waiting in line, fighting through crowds.  I’ve had a Walmart+ membership for over a year now and it has been one of the best services that has given me both time and money back in my day!  With Walmart+, I am able to go online and get everything from groceries to household items to even holiday gifts ordered.  Walmart always has low, low prices and I love that I pay those same prices when I’m ordering online as well.  I enjoy unlimited free delivery ($35 order minimum, restrictions apply) from my store with my Walmart+ membership which means I can order as often as I want for free!

A couple weeks ago, I had a company potluck and actually needed ingredients delivered asap to make a banana pudding that I signed up to bring in.  Thank goodness Walmart had everything I needed and I was even able to add some ornaments to my order and get them all delivered at the same time!  If you love decorating for the season like I do, then be sure to check out some of the holiday décor that I’m loving in the widget below.

SHOP WALMART HOLIDAY DECOR

red/gold ball ornaments | similar poinsettia stems | gold metallic ribbon | similar flocked tree

TIP 2: CUT DOWN THE TODO LIST

For me when I have too many deadlines and todos to keep track of, it helps to write it all out.  Not only does it clear up the clutter that’s in my head, but seeing everything at once also helps to identify the priority tasks.  At this point it’s also helpful to identify the items that don’t need to be completed today as well as the items that can be delegated to someone else.  I try to cut down my todo list as I’ve found otherwise it’s just demoralizing knowing that I’ll never finish everything I set out to do.  For me, I set 3 tasks as “must-completes” for a given day, and having those 3 tasks as a clear goal helps me focus my attention and efforts.

TIP 3: DELEGATE

I once read from a fellow entrepreneur,  “If someone can do something 80 percent as well as you, let them do it.”  This advice is something that I’ve applied to all areas of my life and it’s helped me realize that I could take back time in my day by off-loading items that others can help with.  Time is the one thing that I will never get back so figuring out what I can transfer to someone else is invaluable.  I’ve learned to ask the question, “Is this important or urgent?”  Oftentimes, the urgent or time-sensitive tasks may seem the most important, but what I’ve realized is that if I’m always taking care of the urgent, then I may not get to the tasks that are important.  Instead, delegating even the urgent tasks is key!

Lazy One Flapjack family matching pajamas (similar, similar, similar)
holiday wrapping paper (similar)
Beats Wireless Headphones
Super Mario Maker 2 Switch Game
Microsoft Surface Laptop

SHOP WALMART FAMILY MATCHING PAJAMAS

TIP 4: WORK SMARTER

As a computer programmer, my brain is naturally wired to figure out how to streamline and automate tasks.  This translates to my everyday life in similar ways as I make sure that I have the right tools for any job that I’m tackling.  I recently picked up a new lightweight cordless vacuum to replace the much heavier plug-in vacuum, and it’s made cleanup so much easier and faster!  Sometimes I don’t even realize how much efficiency I’m losing until I upgrade my tools or change my process, so it’s always good to periodically reassess!

Eureka Cordless Vacuum | faux cowhide rug (similar)

TIP 5: BE PRESENT

Lastly but most importantly, I make an effort to be 100% engaged, especially when I’m spending time with my family.  I want to make sure that my family knows how important they are to me, so I put away all distractions during dedicated moments with them.  It’s easy to be distracted and mentally absent when there are so many stress triggers and stimuli coming at us, but making an effort to focus my attention when it comes to spending time with the people in my life has made everything about this season so much more enjoyable!

similar pajamas set (similar) | similar slippers | similar monogram mug

The holidays are such a joyous time of year and even though it can also be stressful, I hope these tips help give you ideas on how to make that better.  Having time to rest is important when it comes to taking care of ourselves and we all need that inner connection with the important people in our lives, so take time this season to enjoy both!