Micro-productivity for Holiday Planning, in 5 steps

With Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year, the end of the year brings with it the season of joy and gratitude.

There’s the anticipation of celebration, and a refreshing sense of optimism in the air. 

The holidays are also the time when, as moms, we’re busier than ever, planning travel and putting together dinners and celebrations with family and friends. 

Many of us love to plan them and we look forward to spending time with our loved ones.

 

But the additional mental load of putting them together, in addition to everything else we have to do everyday, can be stressful. 

As moms, we’re doing so much everyday – we’re juggling multiple roles across work, home, family and kids. We carry the invisible mental load for our families, and we want to make time for ourselves, too. 

As much as we’d like to slow down and enjoy the holidays, it can feel like, as we near the end of the year, the days speed up and our task lists get longer. 

Micro-productivity can help reduce the extra mental load that comes with holiday planning, and help you get things done without changing your daily routine. 

Micro productivity means breaking down large tasks into smaller, more manageable tasks that can be completed in less time. 

Starting well in time and completing things that can be done in advance – like ordering extra supplies and planning the menu – will give you a headstart.

Smaller tasks also feel more do-able and take less time, so you won’t be tempted to push them for another day. 

 

Here’s how to use micro-productivity for holiday planning, in 5 steps: 

1. Break down the project into tasks  

Think of how any large project – like building a house, moving places, or a work project – is typically handled. It’s split into smaller tasks, with each task assigned to the relevant people, on a timeline. 

In the same way, you can break down all your holiday prep into smaller tasks, and make lists for each holiday – Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s.

You can make lists and notes in the Brain Dump, in MAMMA-MIYA.

Check out our Thanksgiving lists on our blog, and on our app, in Commons > Mom-Life Templates, for inspiration. 

 2. Prioritize your tasks

Once you’ve got it all in one place, prioritize them, either in order of things to be done, or the important ones that are absolutely necessary. 

For Thanksgiving, this could be: stocking up on the non-perishables in your shopping list, making an inventory of your plates, spoons and serving bowls, and making the guest list.

Then, add dates for the things that you can finish in the next few days. 

 

3. Add it to your daily schedule 

In MAMMA-MIYA, you can pull the entire list from the Brain Dump into My Day, or you can type out the task in My Day and allot an estimated time to it. 

This way, you can make the most of small pockets of time (like 10 or 15 minutes) during the day to get one item done.

Target doing 1 or 2 small tasks everyday, and soon you’ll be well ahead in your list. 

You can even set aside time on the weekend to pre-cook dishes (like the pie) that freeze well. 

 

4. Take the unexpected in your stride

If there’s one thing we all know as moms, it’s to expect the unexpected.

We want everything to go perfectly and we feel the pressure to be effortless about it.

But plans will fall through occasionally. 

When that happens, tell yourself to move to the next option, or manage with what you have.

At the end of the day, everyone will remember how they felt on Thanksgiving, and no one will mind if you missed a few details. 

Oliver Burkeman, author and journalist, talks about confronting our constraints in our reality: 

The more you try to manage your time with the goal of achieving a feeling of total control, and freedom from the inevitable constraints of being human, the more stressful, empty, and frustrating life gets.

But the more you confront the facts of finitude instead — and work with them, rather than against them — the more productive, meaningful, and joyful life becomes.

 

5. Review and recalibrate

Keep track of your progress by checking off the items on your list as you complete them. 

Being micro-productive will give you enough time till D-Day to finish everything on your list, check if you’ve missed anything, or even stretch yourself and do something extra! 

Most importantly, take care of yourself. 

Planning a Thanksgiving dinner is a lot of work, and taking some time off for yourself in the run-up to the holiday will help you stay on track and also enjoy the process, without burning yourself out.