Holiday Cards – Every Year Send a Few More than the Year Before!

Susan, its January, the holidays are over, why are you talking about holiday cards now? Because January is the best time to spend some time organizing your list for next year. And this year the list can become active instead of being dormant for 11 months.

Ok Susan, but it’s surprising for an organizer to suggest I send more cards not less. That means more time, more effort, and more expense. Well, yes – yes to all the above. Huh?

There are people in our lives that we only stay in touch with through this once-a-year ritual.  If we stop sending that one card a year, the connection with that person could be lost forever. So why not add a few people who you have not seen or talked to in years and reconnect by sending a holiday card?

Creating your holiday list is something you can do during the year if you don’t already have one. Plan now to make the process easier for next December.  Ideally you want to streamline the process, and take a few shortcuts to make the project more enjoyable and still be efficient. Here are five tips to help you get on track:

1. Have a database in excel, outlook or a comparable product. This will allow you to create address labels for envelopes or print directly on the envelope. Do you still like to handwrite the envelopes? Listen, I’m an organizer not Emily Post – but in this day and age does anyone really have time to do that? Instead, use the label shortcut and with the time saved you can write a brief note inside the card. Even one sentence would make your card 99% more personal than most.
2. Carefully look through every name on your list and in two cards write, “Let’s plan to get together in the New Year.” Use the card as way to have a face-to-face encounter with a loved one or friend you have not seen in years.
3. Do the envelopes first, then do the return label and address label.
4. Sign the card and stuff the envelope.
5. Affix postage last, just in case you make a mistake or run out of something.

Here’s another idea to stay in touch with people. Keep your holiday list out all year and once a month pick someone to call. Use this list to enrich the coming year with social experiences that build memories. After all – isn’t that one of the most important things you need to do this year? Make it a happy one.

Statistic of the Month (from www.Hallmark.com)

Next BIG Organizing Holiday:

January is Get Organized Month as celebrated by the National Association of Professional Organizer (I am a national and local member). January is the perfect time to get organized! Call Susan today to get started on organizing this year!