Hello Friends,
The holidays are a time of celebration, nostalgia, and chaos, making it easy to lose sight of or stray away from your goals. The holidays can bring up a lot of emotions, both good and bad, sometimes tempting us to fall back into bad habits. Whether your goals are finance, self-care, fitness, or personal growth, this guide will help you find balance and stick to your goals during the holidays.
- Write Down Your Goals—Choose a few goals that are most important to you and write them down. Research shows that any goal that is written down is much more likely to be achieved. Whether you write them in a notebook, on a sticky note, or on your phone, keep them somewhere visible to remind you what you are working towards.
- Identify Possible Obstacles—Whether the holidays may trigger you to lean into an old habit or attempt to derail you from a new one, it is important to think about and acknowledge possible obstacles you may face over the holidays when trying to stick to your goals. This way, you can prepare in advance and know exactly how to get past each obstacle.
- Create a Plan of Action—Allow your routine and schedule to be flexible around the holidays. The holidays are likely a very busy time. It is okay to intentionally alter how you stick to your goals to accommodate that. This may mean breaking your goals into smaller, achievable ones. For example, if you have a goal to journal more, instead of journaling for 1 hour a day, aim for 10 minutes before bed.
- Blend Fun and Focus—Find ways to combine your goals with festive fun! For example, if you want to get 10,000 steps a day, go for a walk to look at holiday decorations in your neighbourhood. If you want to do Dry December, try making fun mocktails.
- Reflect and Adjust—At the end of each day or event, reflect on how it went. Ask what helped you stick to your goals and what pulled you away from them. Evaluate what worked and what didn’t, and adjust your game plan for next time.
At the end of the day, the holidays are meant to be enjoyed, so go easy on yourself. If you have some setbacks, it is okay. Don’t allow them to diminish your progress. Instead, focus on how you can use the next day as a fresh start to stick to your goals.
Make sure to follow me on social media and subscribe for more mental health content!
Until Tomorrow, My Friends!
P.S. I’m proud of you 😉