The holidays are a time of year for friends, family and reflection. More importantly, however, the holiday period should represent a time where you start to wind down while mentally and physically preparing for the coming year. Unfortunately, many socialites, find it difficult to manage their busy holiday schedules.

Think about it. It all starts with Thanksgiving Day--a day when most people spend the day going from house to house, dining with various groups of friends and family. If you choose to participate in the madness that is Black Friday, then you face an entire day of fighting traffic, standing in register lanes, and listening to the inner voices telling you to stop shopping.

Typically, Christmas parties start the second week of December because many people save all of their holiday vacation for that time of the year. You have office holiday parties, personal holiday parties and the same scenarios for New Years.

With all of this in mind, here are five essential tips to keep your holidays merry and make sure that you do not become a Scrooge.

know your limits

While it is admirable to attend each event to which you are invited, there are only so many hours in a day. Be sure you do not overwhelm yourself, or else the new year will bring you exhaustion rather than prosperity. It is not rude to decline an invitation to a holiday event, unless your decline is sent late.

understand corporate culture

Remember, an invitation to that company “End of Year Party” does not necessarily require attendance. Be cautious in your approach here, as a professional or corporate event can be a great way to meet others in the company and help your career mobility.

respect your significant other's time

If you have a significant other, take a few moments to plan out where the two of you will be for certain events so that one person does not sacrifice their friends or family at the expense of the other. Balance is the key to relationship success during the holidays.

budget...your time

During the holidays we spend much of our time budgeting our finances. It is vital that you budget your time as well. If you have multiple events to attend, on a given day, spend only one hour at each. Remember, you still have to work during the week as well. You do not want to allocate so much time to social activities that you are exhausted and no longer productive in the workplace.

calendars are your friends...use them!

It constantly amazes me that people do not use the calendars in their cellular devices. If you are visual person, it will benefit you to take 30 seconds and enter your holiday events in your phone. Set your reminder for 9am on that day. This automated reminder will help you avoid missing events that you’ve already committed too, and offending your friends in the process.
I hope that these tips can help you to keep your holiday plans in order. As wonderful and memorable as this period is, it can also bring stress-- but it does not have too. Plan accordingly, have fun, and enjoy the sights, sounds, family and friends.

 Check out my other article, "Balancing Your Personal and Professional Worlds."

Happy Holidays.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vernon Blanson is a native Houstonian.  He graduated from Prairie View A&M University in May 2005.  He received his MBA in Strategic Marketing from University of Houston-Victoria in December 2009.  Currently, he is a marketing coordinator at a software company in Houston, Texas.  In his spare time, he has written on lifestyle, politics, and trends in the African American community.  In October 2010, he married his fiancée, Kadian Roberts. He is a member of the Houston chapter of the National Black MBA Association, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated.