Get it Done! What to Do In August to Plan for the Holidays Early.

The last thing on your mind in August is planning for the holidays.

I get it.

Its Back to School season, or you’re enjoying the last few moments of your summer vacation.

But among your super busy to dos for the rest of your life, squeezing in a few moments to prepare for the holidays is only going to help you spend less time being crazy come December.

Its interesting. We see something that is far away or incredibly consuming of our time and we cower away from it.

Think about exercising. If you consider the idea of doing it daily or every other day, while you’re in the moment, its not a big deal. But think about your exercise plan 3 or 6 months from now, even a year! Seems a bit daunting doesn’t it?

Then, we don’t do it. Or we stop and never follow through with our goals.

For August, to get ready for the holidays, don’t think about the holidays.

Take a look at what you can accomplish this month and take each one step by step. Don’t go beyond that.

Plus, block 15-30 minutes to complete each task.

So, maybe that means while you’re sipping your morning coffee, scrolling through social media, opt to scroll through your home projects or scouring Pinterest for Elf on the Shelf ideas.

Shift your focus slightly into productivity mode to help you get started and as you delve into considering planning for the holidays in August.

Here’s Your August To Do List:

• Set up your binder, digital task management tool, planner or other dedicated area to focus on your plan.
  
• Research travel arrangements and start booking. Particularly this year (2021), when we are still wondering what’s happening with a global pandemic, getting this done as soon as possible will help you ensure you have your seat, which you can cancel or reschedule later.
  
• List your home to dos. Decide what your home fix up projects are going to be and start contacting who you need to get them done. This is NOT the time for major construction projects if you’re trying to plan for the holiday season. This is about fixing toilets, touching up damaged or unpainted walls, and smaller projects you will want to complete before you have a house full of people.
  
• Start planning your Elf on the Shelf! If you don’t have kids or they are older and don’t care for this, you can take this step and organize doing your own crafts or creating things in December. Or maybe you want to skip this part altogether. Either way, if you do the Elf, planning now can help you set up your supplies. The best part is you’ll never have to wonder how to move him, since your month is already planned out.
  
• Start shopping! Back to School sales offer great opportunity to pick up stocking stuffers or smaller gifts, particularly for little kids. You don’t need to build your gift lists just yet; be creative and stock up early.

Now that you have your plan for August, we’ll be going on this journey together.

Week by week, follow along with me as we go through this step by step! Sign up for the weekly email list, starting with getting your free holiday planner download.

If you’re reading this and its not August, do your best to catch up, but don’t stress yourself more by trying to get all of the steps done in a month or two.

The purpose of this is to help you get started early, to take a little stress off your plate when December rolls around.

Questions? Need some help? Head over to the Holiday Planners Club on Facebook and ask your fellow planners! Or reach out to me on Instagram @livmanningdigital.

Until week 2, Happy Planning!