It’s Almost Christmas

“He’s making a list
Checking it twice
Gonna find out who’s naughty or nice
Santa Claus is coming to town

So the refrain goes. Santa Claus is a genius at managing a long and diverse Christmas list. Don’t you wish you could do the same? Well, you can if you follow these simple tips.

• Focus and mindfulness: Anyone can manage a personal Christmas list with just a little effort. Everyone has the ability to compile a comprehensive Christmas list for cards gifts. What we do lack, however, is mindfulness. So we find ourselves forgetting to add people to the list and consequently overlook them. Of course, some people try to get by without any list, and suddenly find it doesn’t work.
• Keep the list updated all year long: If you want to be sure you won’t miss anyone during the holidays, you need to compile and update your list throughout the year. Just keep a running list of business associates, friends and acquaintances, and near and distant relatives who belong on your list is the smart thing to do. While it may be a mere oversight that a Christmas card or email was never sent, the person who received no card may feel slighted and you don’t want that to happen.
• Use your computer: If you are reading this post, you already have a computer to use. You don’t need any special software to maintain your list. You can use any note taking or word processing program. You could even use Google notes so that your list is available from home and office both. If you want to be fancy, you can use a spreadsheet.Once you create the base list, it should be easy to add to it each month. Just put the information you need to enter on a Post It note and place it next to your computer, so you won’t forget about it.I like to print out a copy of my list from time to time to carry with me. If I see something that would be great for Aunt Sally in July, I can add a reminder to consider this item closer the holidays. If you start buying Christmas cards or gifts the day after Christmas, add them to your list and remember to include their location.

The trick to keeping a useful Christmas list is to start working on it now. Don’t put it off til the weekend or after Thanksgiving. Start now and you will be ready when serious shopping begins in early December.