Christmas: Planning for Next Year

Didn't we just celebrate Christmas?  Yes, we did.  But having a successful event requires planning.  And having a wonderful, Christ-focused Christmas is no different.  So now is the time while memories are still fresh to think about what went right, and what you might want more or less of.

Here is a free printable from Organized Home you can use to "debrief" yourself.  I think it's a great start but here are some additional questions I found really useful from Bernice at Living the Balanced Life.

1. What events turned out great?
2. Is there something you wish you had NOT participated in?
3. What activities brought joy to you and your family?
4. What turned out to be more stressful than it was worth?
5. Which dishes were a big hit? Were there some that didn’t turn out so great?
6. Is there a new dish you want to be sure to try next year?
7. What do you wish you had MORE of in the Christmas season?
8. What do you wish you had LESS of?

You might want to also add to that list who you sent Christmas cards to and who you received them from.

Keep this information somewhere you can get to it when you need it.  I know I've done exercises like this in the past, only to forget where I've put it.  What has worked best for me is putting this information in a computer file.  Then I link that file to an alert on my Outlook calendar for the date I'll want to access this information, normally around mid-November.

I hope this helps you to have a great Christmas next year.  The more I can make Christmas about Christ, the happier and more content we are!