Chances are you are hosting Thanksgiving this year again, what with your usual workload, last week’s laundry still on stand-by, house-cleaning still pending, and your to-do list untouched as of yet…And you have not yet checked in with everyone to see what they are bringing, you still have to call your mom for her famous turkey recipe, and your hairdresser is booked until next Friday…What?!?
Or the entire family is gathering this year at your cousin’s this year, in which case you can breathe a sigh of relief. Except you still have to figure out what you’re bringing, what the kids are wearing, and how in the world you’ll fit in anything before or after the meal…And we’re not even talking about starting Christmas shopping, or how we’re going to even get anywhere close to a store on Black Friday…
As busy corporate sisters, we all know the holidays are also a hurried, even busier time of the year, and the single way to counter-balance all this madness is to have a plan…A sister with a plan is a sister on her way (the way up, not the other way)…
Write it down
Nothing like a visual aid to make it all real. So whether you’re doing the touch-tone thing on your smartphone, or like myself, you’re just digging out the old notebook and pencil, you’ve gotta write it all down…To-do’s, to-be-done, should-have-been-done, do-it-now’s, put it all on paper, look at it again…and reach for the nearest glass of wine! It ain’t real ’til it’s on paper, girl!
Use your lunch hour!
Yes, you heard right…this small alloted window of peace in the middle of your day is officially no more! Unless you are THE uber-organized corporate sister (or you just don’t believe in sleeping), take advantage of your lunch hour to make a few phone calls, check out some (quick and easy) recipes…and please, find a hairdresser before Wednesday…
Learn the art of delegating
The best leaders are great at delegating; and since you are honing your corporate skills, why not use your life as training ground…so get to delegating some of the shopping trips, and part of the prep work, and the key lime pie while you’re at it (it never came out quite right anyways) so you can have some time to figure out where you can get a last-minute turkey for the big day…
And yes, you can skimp on some details
Like baking the cakes from scratch, or even entertaining the thought of elaborate recipes..Browse the pre-made, pre-done, already-frozen aisles at the supermarket (the online supermarket counts too), and save yourself some pain and aggravation…And oh, invest in some slightly worn out baking pans and serving dishes, and don’t forget the key-lime pie scented candles too, the more homemade-looking, the better…
So there, as a corporate sister with a life and a plan, there is much to do as it is to make the holidays an even busier time…Plan, get help, and don’t forget to pour Aunt Martha more wine before she asks you if that pecan pie was store-bought or homemade…Really, Aunt Martha?
How are you counting down to Thanksgiving?
The Corporate Sister.
