The holiday season is the most wonderful time of year and can be very a chaotic time for most too. Then we add a pandemic and owning a business to it all and it can be a recipe for disaster.  We have put together some simple, quick tips than can help you time manage and maybe even stay sane during this holiday season!

1. Set a Timer for Social Media If you don’t own a business you could do away with social media altogether to free up A LOT of time. But, as business owners we really need to be online connecting with our customers. Do we need to be online 24/7? Absolutely not. So, our suggestion is to set a timer - it can be 30 minutes a day, an hour day, 20 minutes a day. Whatever time limit you set for yourself - stick with it!
2. Don’t Set Crazy Goals Now is NOT the time of year to be setting high level goals for yourself or your business. Keep it simple. Finish up any loose ends with what you have started and stay consistent with the things you already have in place. There is no reason to add anything extra on your plate right now. Whatever ideas you have you can achieve them in the new year. But, HERE is a worksheet to help you organize those goals for next year!
3. Make Daily To-Do Lists ~ That are Realistic! Make a daily to-do list of all the things you need to get done FOR THAT DAY. Prioritize what needs to actually get done. Holiday cards are great! Are they an absolute must….no. Remember less can be more. You want to enjoy the holidays not be a giant ball of stress because of things that just weren’t necessary. 
4. Take Time Out to Declutter It seems like this would add another to-do on that list. But, that’s ok. Because this To-Do will make it easier to get those other tasks done more efficiently. Along with getting your spaces (including your workspace) cleared, now is a great time to get rid of things that you don't need anymore and donate them. 
5. You Don’t Need to be Perfect.  That needs to be said and res-said until it sinks in because this is by far the most important one. You, your business, your family, and your holidays DO NOT need to be Pinterest perfect. Jaron Lanier said “Seeking perfection in human affairs is a perfect way to destroy them”. You will never fully enjoy this time of year if you continue to seek perfection. Embrace the chaos.

We hope this helps and now we need to go practice these tips ourselves!! Easier said than done! It’s so hard not to get wrapped up in the Pinterest perfection, but we really think tip #1 will help us to get out of that mindset. 

Also, last November & in July we shared a Daily Schedule Worksheet that could help with this too. You can find it here:  https://www.wearewce.com/Articles/8102593

And please don’t forget to shop small when you can while getting your gifts this year. As a small business owner you know how hard this year has been for us all. To make life easier you can go to www.shopasmallbusiness.com to save yourself a ton of time on finding small businesses to shop with!

Happy Holiday Season, y'all!