Walls and Ceilings - installing ceiling drywall

There are 24 recessed lights in my basement ceiling. The way that I will hange the drywall is: measuring from the walls and/ or edges of adjacent already installed sheets to recessed lights, transferring the measurements to the drywall sheets, cutting holes in drywall and then hanging them. Is there a better or more accurate way to do this? By the way, I will rent a drywall lifter to save my back. Thanks in advance for your reply, tip or trick.

You can measure and pre-cut, or since you're using a lift, raise the sheets flush to the fixtures, and cut them out with a roto-tool as you go. Try it both ways, and see which way is best for you.
Good luck!