One Simple Thought Experiment to Streamline Your Holiday 

Stop Sending Christmas Cards! 

If you are the kind of person who dreads and twists yourself up in knots about sending Christmas cards, stop sending them. 

It’s that easy. Imagine the time, money, and stress you’ll save! 

If You Love Sending Christmas Cards, by All Means, Go All Out! Do It Right!  

Order ahead. Pick your photo(s). Pick your image. Write your newsletter. Buy the commemorative stamps. Sign “with love” away. 

I used to make all my own cards. It was the special gift that I sent from the city I lived in far away. The cards themselves were the gifts. I didn’t have to spend any extra money on shipping. 

Now I live in the same town as most of my family, and so it seems a little excessive. I stopped about 25 years ago. 

What about the List? 

As for the pile of addresses, hopefully, by now you have your address list in a database so you can just update it with ease. Give yourself ample time each year to update the moves, births, and deaths of your friends and family.  

I like to be methodical with my list. When I get a card, I double-check the address right away and throw away the envelope. I make any notes about things I would like to follow up with that person about in a notebook. 

I follow up during my regular correspondence time. Oh, do schedule regular time for keeping up with your loved ones. 

One of my friends and her husband go for a day of addressing the cards. They put everything together in a little basket and head to a coffee shop or cozy restaurant. They order a meal and some drinks and start writing together. They split the list. It’s a fun way to spend an afternoon together, reminiscing about old holidays and planning for the new one. 

What Gets to Happen? 

Here’s a little insight as to what happens when you stop sending Christmas cards. 

Nothing happens. You still get cards from your friends who enjoy sending them, and you still don’t get cards from your friends who don’t. 

A lack of cards does not translate to not thinking well of the person or loving them with all your heart.  

However, most cards are sent out of obligation. Once that obligation interferes with your enjoyment of the activity, don’t participate anymore! It’s just an expectation that you’ve put on yourself. 

Freeing yourself of the pressure to send Christmas cards and update acquaintances on your life and the life of your family will free up time to make a few phone calls, make a few connections, and meet up with your favorite friends and family. 

Have You Thought about an Electronic Card? 

Many companies will allow you to pick a card and send to your email list. You can customize font, colors, and personalize your message. This method lacks the fun of opening a card and putting it on your mantle, taping it on that card tree, or sticking it on the fridge. But it has its upsides for you as the sender. 

Think about It. 

At a minimum, you need to have a hierarchy of who are the most important people that get cards. Who are merely acquaintances that you would say “Happy Holidays” as you pass them on the street, but don’t need a card? 

The key to streamlining your holidays is not to listen to anyone else’s opinions but to begin thinking for yourself about how you would like to experience your holiday. You get to create that experience. If it involves Christmas, Hanukkah, or other seasonal cards (whether electronic, handwritten, or not at all), you get to decide. 

Happy Holidays! I really hope they are delightful, and don’t feel obliged to send me a card. 

Let me know in the comments what this thought experiment has you thinking.