I discuss being organized and engaging in advanced planning for holidays quite a bit. I do believe that it’s good advice. At the same time, we also have to remain at least somewhat flexible. For all our plans and good intentions, sometimes things just aren’t going to go the way we want them to. We have to be able to adjust.
For example, we planned to put our Christmas tree up Saturday and decorate it. As it got later and later and other things came up, we decided we’d just put it up but probably wait to decorate until Sunday. Well, it didn’t exactly work that way.
Sunday afternoon, just before the Bear’s game came on, we finally put it up and managed to string the lights. After the game (and don’t even ask about the final score!) we turned on Christmas music and began to decorate. This year, we even had tinsel and candy canes, which in times past have ended up being added later. We remembered to get them ahead of time this year.
I guess that’s part of it. Being organized enough that you can be flexible. Having the things you know you will need (at some point), so they’re available when you need them, and setting aside a few hours here and there instead of filling each hour with things to do. Then, when plans change, you can adjust more easily.
Still, I don’t really like it when things don’t go as planned, which at times would have led me to be tense instead of feeling peaceful and happy while decorating the tree. I was determined not to let a few setbacks ruin this special time, and when I think about it, it doesn’t really matter here and now when the tree finally got decorated. It looks beautiful and we enjoyed the time together as a family. Now, we’re ready to start making other Christmas plans. Even though some of those will probably get rearranged as well, that’s okay.
Thankfully, I’m learning to accept this, and while I do want to continue to be more organized, I also want to be more flexible. It may seem like a contradiction, but really it’s not. It means letting go of perfection and not placing such high demands on ourselves. It means planning well enough that small changes won’t create havoc. If I ever get to that point, I’ll be sure to let you know.
Related: Start Getting Organized for Christmas