Had a good Christmas but think it could have been better? Here are some Top Tips to make sure This Christmas helps to make Next Christmas even better!

Go Dasher!

Did you spend much of Christmas Day rushing around, dashing between different houses to see all the relatives? Suggest for next year specific days for a different home, such as Christmas Eve at Granny and Grandpas, Christmas Day at Nana and Pops and Boxing Day and Aunty Ednas. Have special things planned for each day, such as Christmas eve boxes, Christmas Day Lunch and Boxing Day Forgotten Santa Gifts so each day is special in its own way.

Plan to relax

Have you been the main planner and organiser for the day and already feel burnt out? Make sure next year you plan in time to relax. Be it a soak in the tub or half hour walk, having this time is important for your own mental sanity! Did someone else do an awesome job of arranging your Christmas day for you? Make sure they know they are appreciated. A simple thank you goes a long way. As does doing the dishes without being asked!

 

Food Overload

Are you staring at a mountain of leftover food with a groaning full to the brim belly? Don’t  let good food go to waste, so make sure you have a plan. Either a better meal plan for next year, using websites such as taste.com.au, plenty of take away boxes so you can load up guests with a doggy bag.

Be inspired by Bridget Jones’ “Annual Turkey Curry Buffet” and invite others over to help eat up the left overs!  There are plenty creative recipes with how to use up left overs. Or check out this Ultimate Guide to freezing Christmas left overs to keep the Christmas treats coming.

The bringer of gifts

Staring at mountains of gifts as well? People can be very generous at this time of year, but it can be overwhelming as well. Think about putting some of the kids gifts away to bring out later in the year. Were you given multiples of the same thing? Consider donating the excess items to a local charity. If you didn’t have time for a pre-Christmas clear out, maybe now is a good time for a post-Christmas/pre-new year clear out so you can make sure everything you want to keep has a place and everything you don’t want finds a new place somewhere else

Christmas Day but Different

Maybe even consider a whole new way to celebrate on Christmas day, such as volunteering to serve lunch at your local
homeless shelter. Helping others who are doing it tough can help you appreciate what you have to go home to. Contact local charities such as Halo Team Mandurah or City Arise Church Rockingham

Forever loved

And don’t forget to take moment to remember those who can’t be with you to celebrate. This time of year is very hard for those who have lost loved ones and having that first Christmas without them. If you know someone who has lost someone they cared for this year, check in with them and let them know you are thinking of them.

Closed for Christmas

Were you plagued by pesky work emails or urgent projects during time you had planned to spend with your loved ones?
Make sure you have an end of year plan for your work or business as well as your family to ensure they don’t conflict. This could include pre-writing and scheduling any blogs or new content you want published on your website over that time. Set up expectations early in the month for deadlines so you aren’t presented with a last-minute urgent piece of work. And set up automatic out of office email replies clearly stating your business hours over the festive season so your clients know how and when they can contact you.

New Year, New Work Space

The few days between Christmas and New Year tend to be a quiet time of year when many people take leave. It can also be a prime opportunity for decluttering at the office as well as reflecting on the past year professionally; where you were at the beginning of the year, where you are now and where you want to be at the end of next year. Setting out your positive intentions can help you work out a plan on how to achieve them; be it seeking out new clients, taking on extra staff or setting up a new work space where your business can evolve.

If you think The Lab Factory can support your positive intentions, drop us a line and
let’s see what we can do to help you and your business evolve in 2019