Making the Most of Your Time This Holiday Season
Dr. Brett Horton, volunteering as the “Inn Keeper” in a Nativity Pageant at Grace United Methodist Church in Olathe, Kansas — Dec. 2025
'Tis the season to be too darn busy! Time is the great equalizer. We all have 24 hours in a day and, if "4,000 Weeks" is correct, approximately 4,000 weeks in this life. How do we best use our time?
Many groups are requesting a piece of it: family (good use of time), employer (decent use of time), social media companies (probably poor use of time).
In 1994, Dai Clegg developed the acronym MoSCoW to better manage his and his team's time. I invite you to consider this model during the holiday season to make the best use of limited resources.
M is Must Do — This is the activity that is an automatic, and if we don't do it, we will regret it down the line. Your child's holiday program? A must-do. Being fully present at that family tradition and not worrying about what still must happen in 2025 or what 2026 will bring? A must-do!
S is Should Do — These are the things we should do if time allows. That holiday party that will be a good opportunity to network or impress the bosses? Should do. Volunteering to play the innkeeper in your church's Nativity pageant (see picture above)? Agreed to it and probably should do it. Decorating the house so it outshines the neighbors? Not a good reason to decorate, but certainly a possible should-do.
C is Could Do — These are the things that, if time allows, would be enjoyable or advantageous. We could host a holiday party at our house. We could bake the perfect assortment of cookies to take to all of our neighbors. We could agree to attend the fifth holiday party hosted by a colleague we are only tangentially acquainted with. Remember: Guilt is not a reason for doing something.
W is Will Not Do! — This is the most important of the four items in the MoSCoW model. American investor and philanthropist Warren Buffett is keen on reminding employees that they can and should say no to many of the opportunities. When we say yes to one opportunity, we are saying no to something else. Be careful saying yes to lesser things that keep you from saying yes to must-do activities.
So, what are the things we will just say no to this holiday season to maintain sanity?
These vary by individual, but for me, I am going to say no to feeling guilty about staying home with my wife, Michelle, this weekend instead of going out. And I am going to say no to feeling guilty about buying a dessert for a holiday event later in the week instead of staying up until 1 a.m. making that special something.
We are all stretched. This is evident from the number of emails we delete without opening them, failing to respond to emails we really mean to reply to, and phone calls to clients, friends, or family that keep getting pushed to tomorrow on the task list. When we learn to manage our time, we become better versions of ourselves and a better part of creation.
From all of us at b3 Remarkable, we wish you a happy holiday, and may you make the MoSCoW model the gift that keeps on giving this season!
