Well, it's over. Just like that. Like any other holiday or event, you plan and plan and then it seems to be over in a split second.
Today's Creative Blog featured this fabulous site which give 5 easy tips to debrief and prepare for next Christmas.
I know what you're thinking... NEXT Christmas?? Well, now is the perfect time to write down your thoughts. What worked and what didn't. Maybe something you tried this year and ended up being a fabulous addition to your celebration or a recipe that was awful and you want to make sure doesn't appear on your table next year. Maybe include decor that you want to replace next year or a special trick that was needed to get that tree stand to work.
This site has a downloadable debriefing page where it asks questions about your holiday and has space for you to give your thoughts. It also has downloadable planner pages to begin getting ready for next year's holiday.
I know.. I know... you're thinking I'm nuts. As a professional event planner, debriefing is one of our biggest tools, especially for successful annual events. We include things like did we have enough food? What food was left over - meaning, what food did our guests not care for. What comments did we receive from guests - something they especially liked for instance maybe the time of the gathering or how early they received their invitation so they could plan their calendar or a drink or dish they particularly loved. Lots of these things are applicable for Christmas.
And sure, there will be many of you that fly by the seat of your pants and think I'm anal OCD. LOL Then there are the rest of us that love the planning and attention to detail and knowing we get to do it all again next year!
Holiday debriefing...what a great idea! Most of us do it for work, so why not for Christmas? My one resolution is to enter my past handwritten Christmas gift lists on a spreadsheet (I still have them from 2007 to 2010)! That way, I'm not caught holding an item at a store and wondering if I'm giving somebody the same present over and over. Ha-ha!
Posted by: Lissa (The Wedding Bistro at Bellenza) | December 27, 2010 at 07:28 PM
That picture makes me slump my shoulders and stick out my bottom lip like my two year old.
Posted by: Steph at Modern Parents Messy Kids | January 03, 2011 at 04:15 PM