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The holidays are the arch-enemy of productivity. There are so many superfluous, guilt-laden events and activities we easily get sucked into spending our time (and calories) on. On top of that, the end of the year is a veritable devil-on-the-shoulder; nagging you for what you haven't achieved for the year.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find an ounce of reality for what you really have the time and energy for.
One of my favorite systems for this is an adaptation of the ‘keep, throw, maybe’ approach. The system pre-dates Marie Kondo’s joy sparking and comes from a US reality show called Clean Sweep. From 2002 - 2005 this show sparked much joy for this neat freak; blitzing America’s junk-drawers, cupboards and rooms while teaching the gospel of organization.
The genius of Keep, Throw, Maybe is it’s simplicity. Any overwhelming pile can be organized with a quick categorization of each item as: a definite keep; a definite throw; and a decide-later maybe pile. The trick is to categorize lightening fast, speeding up the process but also to get out of your conscious “I can justify anything” mind.
Then put the maybe’s through a slightly more deliberate process, do you really need it or just have a hard time saying goodbye? The former category you then re-incorporate back in your life, the latter you put in the back of a cupboard and look at again in six months to see if you have missed any of your maybe pile at all.
It’s a system you might want to use in the New Year for your house. I also like to use it for my to-do list. Let’s blitz that overly-ambitious and stressful list. Let’s get spark a little reality against those wishful ideas of sending holiday cards, baking for our neighbours (does anyone do that anymore) or finishing those 3 projects that have eluded you all year.
Keep, Throw, Maybe your to-do list. Go through the list and divide it into three categories without thinking. Cross off and forget about the THROW stuff, don’t give it a second thought. Prioritize the KEEP stuff and get that cranked out this week. Put your head down, skip a holiday party and be an overachiever on that culled list. Then, once you have done that, go back to your MAYBE list and reassess what you have time for.
If it waited all year, it will wait a couple more weeks. If it really needs to be done, you are better off starting it fresh in 2020.
The holidays are a time for love, celebration and family. I know that combination can be a hot-mess. Can you find ways to go a little easy on yourself? A little decluttering goes a long way.