January is a great month to open your annual calendar and get planning for the year ahead. Taking an hour to map out your year will help you identify busy periods and block out time to capture those all important![]( "filofax")
moments of down time. In addition to filling my calendar with the year’s events, I also make a note of important events in my entertaining journal (more on that soon) and my household management book. My motto with planning is to make a note of everything, the less I have to remember the more I can focus on the year and now. Here are a few suggestions for ensuring that you planning is thorough and effective in creating a balanced 2011:
moments of down time. In addition to filling my calendar with the year’s events, I also make a note of important events in my entertaining journal (more on that soon) and my household management book. My motto with planning is to make a note of everything, the less I have to remember the more I can focus on the year and now. Here are a few suggestions for ensuring that you planning is thorough and effective in creating a balanced 2011:
- Birthdays and Special Occasions: I have never met a household that is not constantly sending out birthday, anniversary or special occasion cards. With so many milestones to remember, making a note of the birth or wedding year ensures that you will be well informed when sending your celebratory regards (after all, who has time to remember how old everyone is?). If the birthday or anniversary falls in an especially busy period, make a note a few days/weeks ahead to buy a gift and visit the post office if necessary.
- Reminders: Managing a busy home requires a great amount of recall. Filling your calendar with reminders of when a warranty expires, a contract needs renewing, a membership ends, your car is due for a tune-up or even when your gutters need cleaning will ensure they all get done on time and with little stress.
- Annual Busy Periods: Highlighting especially busy periods at the office (or at home) ensures that you do not over-stretch yourself , and allows you to plan accordingly.
- Annual Celebrations: Holidays reach far beyond Passover and Christmas, consider all the holidays that you will be hosting this year and allow plenty of preparation time to ensure that your celebration is stress free and well planned. Knowing your time commitment to each event also allows you to confidently accept invitations around this busy period. Once you have your events planned out, use your entertaining journal to keep track of the smaller details.
- Big Life Events: Restoration projects, moving home, having a baby, celebrating your 20th wedding anniversary this year? Consider the planning, time commitment and recuperation you will need surrounding this time and ensure that your calendar is sensitive to you.
- Vacation Planning: Once your calendar is complete, make a note of the best time to take your holidays, then book time into your calendar to plan these all important annual events. To ensure that your plans are all located in one place, leave room in your household management book to organise your vacation plans.
- Making Time for Memories: With all the nuts and bolts of 2011 entered into your calendar, you have a clear idea of where your down time lies and when the memories will appear. Map out your entertaining plans and hold firm to these dates by entering them into your entertaining journal. While spontaneous dinner parties are one of life’s simple pleasures, being able to look forward to a night with friends after an especially frantic few weeks ensures that on even the darkest of days there is sunshine.