We’ve reached the last month of 2014—can you believe it? This time of year offers many opportunities for getting together with family and friends, but it can also be a stressful time for many. With the approach of the year’s end also comes the pressure to meet end-of-the-year goals, coordinate holiday plans, and spend a small fortune buying gifts.

It helps to see all of life’s to-dos as a series of projects. To-dos confront you as a never-ending, overwhelming list. Projects, however, require you to make a plan. To reduce your stress and increase your success with meeting your goals for this month, take these simple steps for developing a “holiday project plan.”

Prioritize. Step back for a minute and ask yourself: What are the top three things (such as spending time with family, negotiating a raise at work, getting your holiday shopping done early) you want to accomplish this month? Establishing what matters most to you is a crucial first step in creating a plan for how to allocate your time to each “project.”

 …