The holiday season is almost upon us. Like any major project, it is a good idea to identify all the tasks that you need to take care of to ensure everything comes together by the deadline. Organizing your holiday greetings and mailing cards is one task you can complete early in the season. An essential tool for success is using a planning calendar (either paper-based or electronic). You can record specific tasks on specific days so you stick to the plan and everything gets done with time to spare.
Here are the things you need to take care of if you celebrate the holiday season fully. Ideally, you want to start by creating an Action Plan six weeks before Christmas. However, if you procrastinated a wee bit, here’s the condensed schedule:
- 3 Weeks Out: Gift Planning/Purchasing, Holiday Cards
- 2 Weeks Out: Decorating and Wrapping
- 1 Week Out: Meal Planning
If you have the budget, focus on the tasks that you truly enjoy and outsource the rest. There is a bevy of services at your disposal, including personal chefs, concierge services, decorators, and professional organizers.
I have written about gift and meal planning many times. In this post, I thought I would shift gears a bit and focus on organizing your holiday greetings. Whether you send seasonal greetings by mail or electronically, now is the time to start.
Step-by-Step Plan to Organize Your Holiday Greetings
1. Gather together all names and addresses
Gather together all your address books, if you have more than one, and any scraps of paper or lists of names. Check with your spouse and children to see if they have anyone to add to the list. Consolidate this information into a spreadsheet or other contact management system. If you set up a simple Excel spreadsheet, you can use it to generate printed address labels. You can also create a column to keep track of sent cards, so you don’t miss anyone next year.
2. Count the approximate number of people
Do a rough count to get a quantity for purchasing cards if you are mailing them. Before you go shopping, check your stash from last year. You just might have enough. And while you’re there, check your supply of wrapping paper, bows, tags, etc.
3. Type up a personal Christmas letter
Many people choose to type up their personal Christmas letter and send a copy to everyone. I like this method as it saves time and allows you to pack a whole lot of news into every letter, rather than trying to handwrite the card and not filling everyone in on the same family news. You can even set it up so your computer addresses each letter personally.
4. Mail Christmas cards within Canada by December 10th or earlier
In the event of an interruption in Canada Post services, consider using an online card service, such as BlueMountain or Jacquie Lawson. Your goal is to have mailed cards arrive the week before Christmas, so the recipient has a chance to send you a card if they have forgotten. Fingers crossed it all works out.
And in the meantime, feel free to share your best tips to prepare for the holidays.