I started realizing how close we are to the end of the year when I saw Christmas wrapping paper in the checkout aisle. The holiday planning for eating, drinking, and being merry has begun.
At our house, we have one lonely pumpkin sitting at the front door. Uncarved.
Bless her heart.
I realized recently that if I have to choose between sanity and perfect decor for three different holidays smushed together into a few weeks’ time, I choose sanity.
Instead of decorating, I have spent a considerable amount of energy helping my clients tackle the reality that this time of the year is the perfect time to start overhauling their health.
We are in the moment of closing in on two months remaining in the year and we have to get down to brass tacks about where we are choosing to spend our time and energy. We only have so much of it, regardless of our best intentions and biggest dreams.
When we think of what to prioritize, the parties, neverending treats, spirits, and spending sprees look ideal. It sounds like a good-time Charlie. These asks are all easy to say “yes” to. But we all know when we “go too far” – overspend, get hungover, and eat until our stomachs hurt – it never makes us feel good. There are always going to be consequences for the decisions we make.
Then we go into another year feeling less than optimal. The ball drops and so does our stomach because we have so much to do to get back on track.
Like I tell all my clients in my Brain & Body Detox programs, we can take a different route this go-round. We can choose to be wise with how we spend the time and resources given to us as we close up another calendar. We can fill up and lift the people around us through the joy of the holidays without sabotaging our own health.
Here are my top five ways to end the year doing just that.
Drink more water.
There are so many reasons why you should drink more water in general, but increasing your H2O in the last few months of the year is a no-brainer.
I’ll tell you why.
You are going to need your body to work optimally during the holiday season when stress typically increases and time to accomplish your to-do list is stretched. Replenishing your body with fresh, clean water increases energy and brain function and helps your joints, organs, and muscles do their job as intended.
Your skin will thank you as well. Water is known for making your skin look healthier, more elastic, and fresh. It naturally hydrates, reduces wrinkles, and prevents pimples and acne.
Now, who wants that in endless family photos and holiday selfies?
Filling your cup can also help control your calorie intake when you need it the most. Water helps you feel fuller, longer which could help you determine if you are actually hungry or if you’re eating out of boredom or social pressure only. It flushes out toxins and fats you want to get rid of as you move throughout the day.
Speaking of, water maximizes physical performance and helps to energize muscle groups. It can give you just the boost you need to take that extra walk or fit in a class you would otherwise be exempt from due to lethargy.
It doesn’t cost a thing except for maybe more trips to the bathroom, so fill up a big water bottle and let’s drink at least 1/2 our body weight in ounces for the rest of the year.
Your body and your skin will thank you.
Wake up one hour earlier.
Yes, it sounds awful and yes, it gets darker during the winter, the days are shorter, and it’s cold, and… yes I know. It’s hard.
I used to be the first one to hit snooze, pull the covers over my head, complain about my feet being cold, and go back to sleep for a total of 9+ hours.
Scientifically speaking, humans crave more sleep during the winter months and SAD (seasonal affective disorder) is a real thing that causes depression in so many.
I highly respect that we all have to take care of our mental health, especially when we know something is going to be a challenge for us ahead of time, but there are ways to combat that.
The benefits of getting up earlier are too good not to mention.
Most of the time we don’t get everything we need to do done in a day. Moms especially are inundated from the moment they open their eyes to when they haul themselves into bed at night because they tend to wear multiple hats and focus on caregiving in the home.
We will NEVER have time for ourselves if we don’t get up before the rest of the people in the house.
And guess what you can do with an extra hour without anyone else up? A lot. You can:
Workout
Read a devotional
Journal
Meditate
Catch up on work or things you couldn’t get done yesterday
Have a dang cup of coffee…. alone.
You have time to do what needs to be done, fill yourself up with love, take care of your mind and body, feel centered and accomplished, start your day like a boss… all by the time the other people in the house get up.
When you do this you are able to pour that overflow into others instead of running around like a crazy person dumping stress onto everyone and everything in the morning.
It will start your day off in zen mode and everything will flow magically from there. Trust me on this one.
If you need an extra boost or strategy to accomplish this enough to make it a habit, check out Mel Robbins’ 5-second rule. Once you do this for about 30 days you are going to realize just how precious this time is and will never go back.
Look back at your goals.
Some people set their New Year’s resolutions on January 1st when they have a hangover and vow “never to drink again” plus other unrealistic ideals and then never look back and measure how they are doing throughout the year.
Been there, done that. I have found that method does not help accomplish much.
Hopefully, when the ball dropped months ago you at least thought about the calendar year in a way of goals and accomplishments you could have over 365 days.
If you are able to pull out your list, go back over your goals from the beginning of the year. If you kinda remember what they were, write them down again. If you didn’t make any or can’t remember, jot some stuff down you think you want to accomplish going forward until Dec 31st.
This is a big reason why journaling and writing down your thoughts is such a great practice. You can see and actually measure the progress you are making in real-time. If you haven’t made journaling a goal, you will certainly want it to be one going forward.
Because my sister and I nerd out on new planners and goal setting every year, I have detailed written goals in several areas of my life from Jan 1st. I also can flip back to prior months, read what I was thinking, and compare that to now.
It’s such a good exercise to look back at what you thought you wanted to do and discover how you did or how you pivoted and changed direction. We should be introspective enough to discover why we do the things we do as a form of self-discovery.
Writing down goals is not meant to set a future meeting of disappointment on your calendar. It’s meant to challenge you to become the best version of yourself. Setting goals shows you what you value and how you want to show up in your life. It’s a deep dive into your purpose.
It’s OK if you didn’t meet any or all of your goals. The point is to congratulate yourself for the progress you’ve made, and at the very least help motivate yourself to make some headway in the time you do have left. Ten days of focus can jumpstart you into new healthy habits. Think about what two whole months can do.
Look into the rearview mirror before you decide where you’re going next.
Adjust your expectations.
Now that you’ve been able to look backward it’s time to adjust your expectations looking ahead.
Maybe you didn’t get close to accomplishing what you wanted. That’s OK. What can you do in the next few months? What makes your heart beat a bit faster and time go by in a blink? What needs to be addressed?
Focus on the things that are most important to you. Start with taking the next step. Set a realistic expectation. The point is to be growing and improving into the New Year, not starting all over again from scratch like a broken record.
On the flip side, maybe you completely smashed all of your goals for the year or maybe a few in certain areas. That might mean you didn’t challenge yourself enough or reset your goals midyear. Does that mean you get to take the next few months off, eventually setting yourself up to backpedal by year’s end?
I wouldn’t suggest it.
Why? Because we were meant to move.
Set a new marker. Create a bigger dream. Move the goal post farther.
The point is to be in growth mode going into the New Year. There is nothing worse than waking up on Jan. 1st filled with dread about your life and its possibilities with no idea where you are headed.
Shake off whatever has happened over the course of the year and set your GPS to the next destination.
It’s going to be amazing because you’re deciding where you’re headed.
Change your mindset.
The biggest thing that stops us from achieving our most consequential goals and dreams is, you guessed it… us.
We are the only ones in the way.
Only we can decide to do something and then actually do it. No one else is going to make the decision, execute the action, and have to live with all of the consequences. And because that is true, we need to set ourselves up for success mentally.
The best way to do that is to change the mindsets that are blocking us from progress and achieving our goals. The hard work is in adjusting our perspective.
Here are a few mindsets that I like to address with my clients as a starting place that may have them stuck.
Change is happening. You can drive to the next destination or you can be pushed, but we are constantly in motion. Permanence does not last. Nothing does. Accepting that change is always happening sets you up to be the storyteller. You are in the driver’s seat. You are the hero of your story, so what is the next chapter?
Positivity rules the day. I don’t ever say “positive vibes only” because all feelings and emotions should be recognized and validated. I do, however, teach my clients that when they send out a positive frequency into the universe and focus on gratitude and what’s possible, things start to change for the better. Big time.
You are able. There is no bigger lie than believing we are incapable of doing something. We have more creative potential in one cell of our pinky finger than any other creature God put on this planet. We are incredibly intelligent, talented, and strong. All you have to do is believe that everything is possible and then, guess what, it is.
You are worth it. Period. The first person who needs to understand your worth, and the loudest advocate for yourself in the room should be you. If that doesn’t resonate, forget everything you just read. Start by uncovering your worth, loving yourself like crazy, and discovering who you truly are. Don’t miss this part. You are a wonderful, beautiful creature put on this planet for a special purpose. You are worth all of the amazing things about to come your way.
Get ready because they are coming.
If you are feeling inspired and don’t want to hit the brakes on your momentum, make sure you check out and reserve your spot for the Brain & Body Detox coaching available for the remainder of the year!
Here’s to being ready for the amazing things about to come!
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