Maintaining a Holiday Schedule: by Mollie Ann of RoughMagicHolidays

Organizing our online shops for the holiday rush can be, and usually is, a daunting task, but a doable one nonetheless.

Here are a few quick and easy tips to make your days in the workshop, at the computer and in the packing room less stressful and, yes, even enjoyable.

Make a list. No, make that make several lists! You wouldn't think of heading off to the supermarket without your grocery list, so why face the multi-tasking required to keep up with the holidays without one?

Here's an blank template of my weekly check list, in chart form, that I look at every day to make sure I've covered all necessary bases … and often a few unnecessary ones too.

Nobody can do everything every day, and everybody's schedule will be different, but making your own check list and consulting it daily will definitely keep you on track.

If you have orders that absolutely must be finished and on their way, don't get distracted. Concentrate on getting them done and out!

For less pressing tasks, find a couple of simple kitchen timers, one for your computer desk and one for your work space. Determine how long you can spend on any given task, and set your timer. When it goes off, set if for 5 more minutes, to give you time to reach a good stopping place, and when it goes off again, STOP. No "ifs, ands or buts". Just stop, take a breather, go back to it if you have time, or move on to the next project on your agenda.

Don't tire yourself out by trying to do everything in one day. Remember, "Slow and steady wins the race," and we'll all get twice the work done in half the time if we don't allow stress or panic to creep up on us.

No matter how busy you get … breathe, breathe, breathe! You'll get it done. Indeed you will. We all will.