Good, Better, Best

   Hi There!  This week I have been contemplating the idea of good or okay vs. what is best.  You see, often times, what holds us back is not intentionally doing something wrong, but being unwilling to change when we know we could do something better.  Generally, if we know something is flat out wrong or detrimental, we will make an effort to change it.  However, if something is okay, or seems good enough where it is, we have a tendency to continue to put up with, indulge in, or stay stuck in it because it would take effort to make it better even though we know we could or should do so.  

    I was wrestling with this pattern of thinking in my own life recently. I have a habit which I knew I should put forth the effort to improve, but I hadn't done so yet.  I was mulling over the work it would take to make the change and weighing if I felt like putting the energy into doing so, when I was convicted by this statement in my spirit.  "It's not always that something is bad.  It's just that it could be better." Whew!  Having a standard of excellence is important.  But man is it challenging sometimes.  While it may be difficult or seem unnecessary to push ourselves to change something that is okay or even good as it is, these small changes are what separate us from the crowd and cause us to stand apart.  We must be willing to not settle but demand from ourselves that we press toward greatness and excellence.  

      These small changes toward better are so important.  In fact, Joyce Meyer often tells the story of how God dealt with her for years about small things like taking her grocery cart back to the where it belongs after leaving the store.  She had a big dream, but God couldn't fulfill it in her until she was willing to go the extra mile and become more even in the small things. 

    Take a look around your life and ask yourself in what areas you are settling for okay when you should be great.  And I don't mean being discontent. That's another topic in and of itself. What  I mean is looking at your own habits and character and finding the small cracks that could be strengthened and sured up to create the solid foundation you need to propel you toward your dreams. Terri Savelle Foy says that when she was just beginning to move into living her dreams she heard God tell her, "You, don't be average, and your life won't be average."  We must be willing to always move toward better if we want better, and I believe all of us do. 

    Life is a continual journey of improvement.  Don't get stuck or give up and just accept that things are okay or good enough.  You have what it takes to improve, become excellent, and make your habits and yourself better.  Mediocre won't get you to your dreams and goals.  You have to strive for better.  I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K.L.W.

Simple

   Hello there!  Have you ever heard the acronym K.I.S.S.?  It stands for Keep It Simple Stupid.  But that's not a very nice thing to say to yourself, so maybe we can rebrand it to Keep It Simple Sweetie or Keep It Simple Stud.  All joking aside, we live in a pretty fast paced world, and it seems there is always more for us to keep up with.  Between trying to make a living, exercise, eat right, keep our families alive, stay woke, and build our social media empires, we can get lost somewhere in all the doing.  

    This week I was contemplating all the things that needed to be done, and I heard in my spirit, "Simplify.  Let go of things that don't serve you."  Wow!  Such a powerful concept, but hard for us to do in this world of have more, do more, be more.  But truth be told, sometimes we are doing things that aren't productive in the name of just doing things.  How many "Shoulds" are you holding onto in your life, not because they are helping you, but because you feel like that's what's expected of you?  

    Jack Canfield gives a powerful question in The Success Principles.  He asks, "What am I doing that’s not working? What do I need to be doing less of?"  So often we try to ask ourselves what else we need to do, and we add more and more to our proverbial plates.  But what we need to do is to ask ourselves what patterns or habits we are holding onto that aren't serving us.  Maybe your exercise routine is making you miserable, but you keep doing it because someone else said it was the "best" way to get fit.  Can you find a routine that helps you feel healthy and strong and also brings you enjoyment?  Maybe you are allocating money and time towards things you don't really care about because your mother, boss, neighbor, or friend made you feel like you should.  Again, how can you simplify your life so that it fits your goals and needs?  Can you learn to let go of those things that aren't serving you?  

    Just because someone else does things a certain way does not mean that way is the most productive or useful for you.  It's time to let go of the stereotypes, the "I shoulds", and the demands we place on ourselves because we think other people expect us to do, be, or like those things.  We need to ask the question, "What is working for me?"  and more importantly, "What isn't working for me?"  Then we can eliminate those things that aren't in our best interest and are only robbing us of time, energy and money.  

    Take some time this week to consider your routines and ask yourself truly how you can simplify and make your life work the way you want it to, not the way TV, pop culture, society, or your parents say it should.  At the end of your life, only you are responsible for how you lived it.  Don't waste your time and mental energy.  Keep It Simple Smarty.  I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K.L.W. 

Little by Little

   Hello, Friends!  Progress can be so frustrating some times.  Don't you just wish you could snap your fingers and get it all together, suddenly reach your perfect fitness goal, have all the money you want, and be killing it in your career and relationships?  Ya, me too.  The problem is, we weren't built to work like that.  If we have big goals and dreams, we have to grow to the size of those dreams.  Overnight success is not really a thing (Ok, maybe for a handful of people), but for most of us, it's a daily working to reach what we desire.  

    This process of growing and becoming can be really frustrating until we take time to step back and realize that is how we are designed to operate.  Growing into the person we want to be is a lifelong process, and the joy truly is in the journey.  But it can be easy to lose sight of that.  Let me illustrate with a classic Bible story.  You might be familiar with the Israelites and their forty year journey from Egypt to the Promised Land.  A forty year journey!  Yikes!  Are we there yet?  How about now?  The journey across the desert should have taken about 11 days according to scholars, but because the Israelites complained, rebelled, and down right refused to listen, reaching the Promised Land took forty years.  Not only that, but those who left Egypt did not even get to enjoy the Promised Land.  They perished in the desert, and it was their children who got to inherit that land.  Not a great story.  

    But here is what is interesting.  There were others inhabiting the land which was to be an inheritance for Israel, the land which had been promised to Abraham over four hundred years earlier.  In Exodus 23:29-30, God tells Moses, "But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land." God knew the Israelites were not prepared to handle the land that had been promised to them, and so He did not give it to them all at once.  To do so would have been their destruction.  Instead He promised to give it to them little by little as they increased.  Remember the analogy of the wineskin?  They had to grow into a nation that could handle the blessings God had in store for them, and in the same way, we must grow into people who can handle the plans and blessings God has in store for us.  We must be faithful with a little before we can be blessed with more.  (Luke 16:11)

    Take some time this week to look at your dreams and goals and appreciate the path from where you are to where you want to be.  And don't forget to look back and see how far you have come as well. Don't spend your whole life just wishing you were in the Promised Land. Instead, enjoy the path as you realize your dreams and goals little by little.  I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K.L.W.  

Wishing or Working?

   Hi Friends!  Have you ever wished your life could be different?  Ever thought things would be better if you just had that perfect body, home, spouse, job, etc?  All of us have a dream version of ourselves that we would like to come true, but the question is, are you just wishing or are you working?  There is a big difference.  Jay Shetty says in Think Like a Monk, "'I wish' is code for 'I don't want to do anything differently.'" So let me ask you again, are you just wishing things would get better?  

    The truth is, we can wish all we want, but that does not cause anything to actually change.  Have you ever heard the classic tale of the lottery winner who wins big and then two or three years later is bankrupt, divorced, and miserable?  How could this happen?  After all, he got what he wished for, right?  The problem is, a wish does not change us.  We have to do the work of growing into a person who is worthy of the dreams and goals we have.  And before you get offended, I do not mean from a value standpoint.  We all are valuable and have worth just by the sheer fact that we are human beings created in the image of God.  The worth I am referring to here is the skills necessary to obtain and maintain the dream life we desire.  For example, if the lottery winner had taken the time to develop the financial skills necessary to earn wealth and maintain it, they would not be in that position.  Jesus said it this way, "No one pours new wine into old wineskins.  Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined.  No, they pour new wine into new wineskins."  (Mark 2:22)

    Simply receiving the things we want does not catapult us into living the dream life we desire.  If we don't change ourselves and our mindset, we will not be able to hold onto the things we want.  Like the wineskin that burst from the new wine, our old selves and old mindsets will not be able to contain the new things we desire.  We must create new mindsets and new lives if we want to hold onto the blessings we crave.  For example, if you are severely overweight, you might go get liposuction to quickly remove some of the unwanted body mass, but if you don't change your habits, lifestyle, or mindset you may find yourself back in the same position, overweight and unhealthy.  However, if you make the change to start eating healthfully, exercising, and following the proper health procedures, you will be better able to maintain the results of your surgery.  You have become new from the inside out.  

    We can all wish for our lives to be like a Disney story and instantly transform from poverty and misery to riches and royalty, but in real life it doesn't work that way.  Snow White said, "A dream is a wish your heart makes."  But Rachel Hollis said, "A goal is a dream with work boots on."  Are you just wishing, or are you lacing up your boots and going after the changes that will get you to your dreams and goals?  If you want to see your dreams come true, you have to do the work to become the new person who can live out those dreams fully.  Get to work today on transforming yourself from the inside out.  I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K.L.W. 

Messes

   Hi Friends! I was thinking today about messes and how aggravating they can be. Messes drain our energy and focus, and they make us feel stressed, disorganized and overwhelmed. Living in an environment that is cluttered and messy can take a toll on us mentally and emotionally, and may even harm us physically if things get too messy. Additionally, have you heard that your outward environment is a reflection of your inward environment? Maybe you are surrounded by chaos because your thoughts are chaotic. 

  If you want to see improvements in your life this year, I encourage you to start by getting your environment cleaned up. This is one of the most fundamental steps you can take to get your life moving in the direction of your dreams and goals, and here are three ways you can start. 

1. Make it a Routine

  It has been said, “The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.” And this is true when it comes to your environment too. Do you have a daily habit of cleaning and straightening up? Or do you spend all week throwing the mail, your work clothes, and the dirty dishes into piles until the weekend when you frantically try to gain control? A small shift in habits can make a big difference in your environment. A few changes that have helped me are: putting things away as soon as I am finished with them, doing a load of laundry and a sink of dishes every day, and not procrastinating; if there is mail I take care of it right away; if there is a mess I clean it up. These small shifts in habit make a big difference. 

2. Don’t Let Things Pile Up

  I don’t know about you, but I hate extra junk lying around. If I’m not using it, I’m not keeping it. The less things there are the less to clean, organize, pick up, etc. The strategy I use for keeping useless or unwanted items from piling up is this: First, if it’s broken, worn, or otherwise not worth giving away, I throw it out immediately. Secondly, I have a designated spot (the Livingroom closet) where I keep a bag. Anytime I come across something we aren’t using or don’t need, I put it in the bag. When the bag is full, I take it to donate. This prevents broken or unwanted items from piling up and frees up my energy to deal with other things. 

3. Learn and Grow

  If you are feeling stuck or unsure about how to clear the clutter or organize the messes in your life, there are two great books which helped me immensely. The first is Terri Savelle Foy’s Declutter Your Way to Success. This book changed my life dramatically and helped me learn to get my chaos under control and to see how my messes were holding me back from my dreams and goals. The second, ADD - Friendly Ways To Organize Your Life, by Judith Kolberg and Kathleen Nadeau, PH. D. Is chalk full of practical solutions for organizing your home and life. I had originally bought this to help my ten year old, but I found that it helped me far more than I ever expected. 

  In her 90 Day Devotional, Live Your Dreams, Terri Savelle Foy states, “A mess is any disagreement between the way you desire things to be and the way they actually are.” This year, it’s time to sort out the messes so you can break through to being the person you desire to be. Start making it your routine to be organized, find ways to eliminate clutter, and seek out ways to grow and become better in this area. I can’t wait to see you succeed! 

~ K. L.W.

Who Are You?

   Good Morning Friends!  Are you working on new habits for the new year?  I hope you have dreams and goals and are pursuing them, but if you're like most people, beginning a new habit can be an uphill battle, and you will probably have to work at it for some time to make it a routine.  There is a mindset though that can help you as you begin your transformation from who you are right now to the best version of you.  Creating new habits is not just about adding something new to our lives, it's about becoming someone different in the process.  Terri Savelle Foy, in her book, Live Your Dreams:  A 90 Day Dreams and Goals Devotional, poses the question, "Who do you need to become in order to have the dreams in your heart?"  

    Most of the habits and resolutions we make are not about the action itself, but about who we become by doing that action.  If you set a resolution to eat more salads this year, it's probably not just because you feel like eating salad.  It's because you want to become a healthier person.  Likewise, if your goal is to make time for a weekly date night, it's not just for the fun of date night, it's because you want to become a better spouse. 

    Sometimes amidst the struggle of trying to create new routines, we forget that it's about the process of becoming.  We want so desperately to get the end result, being ten pounds lighter or speaking that new language, that we forget the joy in the journey.  Growth takes time and effort, but keeping this mindset in perspective can help you along the way.  Jack Canfield states it beautifully in The Success Principles when he says, "What can never be taken away is who you have become in the process of achieving your goal."  

    Our habits and routines are the tools we use to reach our end goals, but ultimately, we have dreams and goals because of who we are and who we hope to become.  As you focus on your action steps this week, try to see yourself as your end goal, a healthy person, or a debt free individual, or an entrepreneur. See yourself as the person you desire to create through your new habits. The more you change your vision of yourself, the easier it will be to align your actions with that vision. Arnold Schwarzenegger said, "Create a vision of who you want to be, and then live into that picture as if it were already true." 

    This week, keep working on your new habits, routines, and goals, but allow your focus to rest on the bigger picture. Who are you becoming?  And what type of life are you creating by your habits?  Keep the ideal version of you in mind, and it will be a lot easier to live into your new habits.  I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K.L.W. 

Where We Came From

   Good Morning Friends!  Did you hit the ground running after new years?  Or did you slack off and fall into your old 2020 patterns?  Or maybe you fell somewhere in between. Sometimes we try so hard to start so many new habits at the beginning of the year that we derail and overwhelm ourselves from the start. No matter how your year kicked off, there is benefit to taking time to slow down, refocus, and look back and reflect on how far you've come. For those of us who are always trying to improve and hit goals, sometimes we can be hard on ourselves, and we forget how much we have already accomplished.  But, in the profound words of my husband, "You have your whole life to figure your life out."  Sometimes amidst our struggle and hustle to get better, we need to simply press pause and take a look back over our shoulder to see just how much ground we've already covered.  Here are a few practices which can help you as you do that. 

1.  Slow down with Meditation 

    Taking some time daily to simply sit still and breath can help us to slow the chaos of our minds and re-center ourselves. If you've never tried this before and it feels intimidating, I promise you, it's not.  You can go on YouTube and search for Meditations for Beginners, and you will pull up all sorts of short guided meditation which you can give a try to.  The point is really to slow down and focus on just breathing and being in the moment.  This practice is beneficial in many ways, but especially as you train yourself to begin being more mindful in your day to day life. 

2.  Be Still and Know

    If you're a believer, like I am, then you probably know that God says in his word, "Be still and know that I am God."  But how many of us really practice this on a regular basis?  Do we stop and simply dwell on God and allow his Spirit to speak to ours?  If we did, you can bet we would have more peace and wisdom in our lives, and we wouldn't be trying to carry the weight of the world all by ourselves. The verses below might give you a good place to start.  Spend some time dwelling on them and allowing God to speak to your heart today. (Psalm 46:10, Isaiah 26:3, James 1:5, Matthew 11:38-30)

3.  Look Back with Gratitude

    Practicing being grateful on a daily basis is a great way to bring more joy and positivity into our lives.  But looking back at where we started and seeing how far we've come is also helpful for us to keep on moving forward.  Sometimes we get so caught up in our daily struggles, that we neglect to see and be thankful for where we are.  When was the last time you sat down and thought about your circumstances five years ago verses now?  Was your job different?  Are you healthier now?  Do you have more savings and less debt?  Have you started new habits?  Take a few minutes to really reflect and be thankful for where you are.  Sometimes the journey ahead looks long, but you've already come so far.  Use that knowledge to propel you forward. 

    It might seem counterintuitive to slow down at the beginning of the year when you are just trying to ramp up your new habits.  But often times, slow and steady wins the race as the age old tale has been trying to tell us.  When you run full speed ahead into all the busyness of life day after day, you eventually burn yourself out and stop your progress.  But if you can learn to be mindful, to listen for God's quiet leading, and to look back with gratitude, you will find your journey is a lot lighter.  Take the time to slow down, be still, and be thankful today.  I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K.L.W. 

Biting off More than You Can Chew

   Hi Friends!  I hope you are forging ahead into the new year and working on the goals you have set for yourself.  If you're anything like me though, you may have made a classic mistake going into the new year.  I have been chasing down goals for a lot of years now, and I still tend for fall for this one.  It's so easy to do, because when you write your goals down, you feel hopeful and excited about all you want to accomplish, so naturally, when you lay out your action steps, you immediately try to work on them all at once.  For example, trying to work on your health goal, your relationship goal, your financial goal, your personal goal, and your career goal all at once. Just me?  No?  

    I've talked to you before about how to eat an elephant. You take one bite at a time (ie, small actionable steps towards your big goals.)  But what happens when you decide, "I can eat the elephant faster if I just take bigger bites."  Sounds logical right?  Unfortunately, this is a self destructive pattern.  Any parent will tell you that taking bigger bites doesn't generally lead to eating faster, it leads to choking.  

    Terri Savelle Foy says it this way, "If you focus on too many priorities, you will become one fragmented mess, incapable of completing your purpose and carrying out your vision."  (Live Your Dreams:  A 90 Day Dreams and Goals Devotional) I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound like how I want to live. 

    The experts (you know, the people who actually have achieved their dreams and goals and been deemed successful), say you should focus on no more than one to three goals at a time.  Yikes!  That's a hard one for me.  I'm preaching to the choir here, believe me.  I generally write out ten goals for the year, and I attempt to work on all ten at once, then get frustrated and have to scale back.  Wouldn't it be better to just focus on one at a time?  Even if you spend one month focusing and building a habit related to each of ten goals, you would still have two months left over to spare for slip ups.  (Not that you have any of those, right?)

    So here it is.  If you are feeling overwhelmed by your goals already (or if you meant to set some goals and didn't yet), take some time and decide which of your goals is the most important to you first.  After all, you only have so much time, mental energy, and will power.  Then, commit to a habit related to that goal for one month.  Once you have established that habit, move on to the next one.  

    If you're feeling stressed out, fragmented, or overwhelmed by your goals already this year, it's ok.  Take a step back. Breathe. Stop trying to do so much.  You're only human. Pick one goal and get focused on that.  You can eat that elephant, one SMALL bite at a time.  Make it your best year yet, friends!  I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K.L.W.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

 Hi Friends!

    It's New Years!  And this is my absolute favorite time of the year.  There is so much potential in New Years.  It's when the whole world gets to take a deep breath and start fresh.  At New Years, we all have new hope and new goals.  And this year especially, that feels particularly needed.  We have all lived through a pretty crazy year that has disrupted our lives, and for some of us derailed our dreams and our finances, and at the very least delayed our vacations.  This might have been a year for you where you were just hanging on, just hoping to make it through, and if it was, that's ok.  But what I want to tell you today is that you can move on from here and make next year your best year yet.  Here's how...

1.  Don't Keep Dwelling On the Past

    I believe most of us experienced some hurts or major disappointments this year.  Maybe it was homeschooling your kid, losing you job, the death of someone close to you, or missing special holidays or family vacations.  And honestly, it can be so easy to get stuck in the hurt and disappointment and keep reliving it over and over.  But living bitter, angry, and with "if only" playing in your head will not move you forward.  These thoughts will cause you to stay stuck and mired in your past.  I experienced this for a few months this year, and here's what I did to let it go.  First, I got it all out on paper.  I wrote down what I was upset over, how I was feeling, all my disappointment, hurt, and frustration that I had bottled up, I got it out on the page.  Next, I accepted that those things had happened, and I could not change them.  Lastly, I chose to forgive.  I may not have felt it, but the moment those feelings started to creep in, I combatted them by saying out loud, "I forgive _______ for ________."  For major hurts and disappointments, this may not be an immediate process.  You may have to practice it more than once.  But working through your hurts is far better than allowing them to continue weighing your down and holding you back every day. If you are hurting from disappointments this year, I encourage you to try this process out so you can walk into the new year with a fresh mindset and not hung up on the past. 

2.  Get Your Goals On Paper

    If you have read my blog for a while or spent any time around me, you will know that getting your goals on paper is something I harp on.  Why?  Because this step is so crucial to you achieving your goals.  Want to know why a majority of people give up on their new year's goals before the first month of the year is even over?  Because they don't remember them!  They get a great idea of all the things they want to accomplish, but they never write it down, and if they do write it down, they don't keep it in front of them.  These two steps are so crucial.  Your mind goes toward what you stay focused on (hence the reason you want to stop dwelling on the past hurts.)  If you put your goals on paper and put them where you can see them every day, you will be propelling yourself so much farther ahead towards achieving those goals in this new year.  

3.  Get in Motion

    Have you heard the expression, "Dreams don't work if you don't"?  You can have the biggest, best dreams and goals in the world, and you can write them down and look at them every day, but if you never take a step toward them, you won't achieve them.  Terri Savelle Foy says "You have to put legs to your dreams."  Just as important as writing down your goals is writing down the action steps you will take toward your goals, and then doing those steps!  If you are trying to be healthier, what action steps will you take?  Drink 8 cups of water a day?  Eat a vegetable at every meal?  Do a ten minute workout a few times a week?  Whatever your goal is, write down the steps you will take to achieve it.  And follow through!  

    Bottom line is, you don't have to remain stuck in the past, wallowing in the hurts and failures of last year.  You have a chance to start fresh and new, and while all the difficult things won't magically go away at the stroke of midnight, you can choose to go into next year with a renewed mindset, a written set of goals, and an action plan.  Happy New Year Friends!  I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K.L.W. 

A Christmas Blog

   

Hello there, and Merry Christmas!  If you are a nerd like me, you might have read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, or if you're not, you've probably at least seen the movie and know the idea.  And, (spoiler alert), in the story, Ebenezer Scrooge is taken by three ghosts to view scenes from his past, present, and future. While I don't expect any of us to be taken on a wild adventure such as this on Christmas Eve, I do think it would do us good if, like Scrooge, we took time this season to consider our past, present, and future.  

    Past

As you look back over the past few months, years, and your life, what are you focusing on?  Are you looking at all the hurts, injustices, frustrations, and negative things that have happened to you?  Are you replaying those painful memories again and again?  If you are, you are poisoning your present.  We all have hurts and negative circumstances in our past, but we also all have positive, good, and uplifting things in our past, and the great news is, when you revisit the past memories, you get to choose which ones you want to replay.  You can choose to replay the good things that have happened to you and not dwell on the negative.  You can choose thankfulness instead of disappointment.  Don't keep dragging those old hurts into the present.  Choose to create a positive vision of your past, and you will find much more joy in the present.

  Present

This season can bring so much hustle and bustle and overall busyness into our lives that it's easy to lose sight of the real reason we celebrate.  Do not allow your present to be tainted by the overwhelm that can so easily set in this time of year.  Instead, consciously take time to slow down.  Enjoy friends and family, savor a cup of hot chocolate or eggnog, read stories or watch movies you wouldn't normally, and most of all, take time to remember the reason for the season, the gift of peace and salvation granted to us over 2,000 years ago in a stable in Bethlehem.  

    Future

There is so much leading up to Christmas, preparing food, hosting guests, shopping and wrapping gifts, that we often forget to look beyond.  We do not realize that shortly after Christmas is a new year, a time to set new goals and new intentions, to let go of the old and pursue better. As you prepare for this holiday season, take the time to think about your future and to get your goals for next year down on paper.  Then, when the holiday rush is over, you will have a clear vision of where you are headed in the coming year.  

This Christmas, you can rush through, allow negative memories to taint your thoughts, and get so busy that you forget to plan for what’s next.  Or, you can purposefully choose to be grateful for your past, be present and joyful here and  now, and be prepared with a vision for your future.  Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas!  I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K.L.W. 

Distractions

   Hello Friends! It’s the most wonderful time of the year! But if you’re anything like me it can also be the most unproductive time of the year. There are so many distractions which can pull us off course, and a lot of them are self inflicted. Staying up late to wrap presents or watch holiday movies, eating sugary cookies and junk food at holiday parties, and dealing with interrupted schedules are just a few of the distractions this time of year brings. All of these things are exciting and fun, and I’m not arguing that you abandoned them all together. But I would encourage you to finish the year with intention so you don’t leave this season feeling out of whack and as if you’ve lost your progress. Here are three ways to stay on track, while enjoying the holiday season.

1. Have a Plan

  Having a plan is crucial at any point in time, but especially during this time of year. Maybe you are trying to eat healthfully. Planning out which days are cheat days or meals around your holiday parties could help you to stay focused instead of abandoning your goal for the entire month. Preparing yourself in advance can help you navigate the detours of the holiday season. 

2.  Be Flexible 

  Holidays can interrupt our regular work, school, and family routines (as if this year hadn’t done that enough.) Going into the holidays knowing this can make a big difference in staying on track with your goals. Maybe you need to adjust your workout schedule to accommodate holiday travel. Or maybe you need to scale back your action steps for this month so you don’t overload your already busy schedule. Be flexible with yourself, and you will move through the season far more peacefully. 

3.  Pick Your Priorities

  All the shopping, gift wrapping, and entertaining can take up a lot of time, and that means you might not get as much done during the holidays as usual. That’s ok! Seasons are good. They give us an ebb and flow. If you have less time, don’t overload yourself  trying to accomplish the same work load. Instead, pick your most important priorities and stay focused on those. It’s ok to let a few of the less important things go for a few weeks. 

  This time of year can be overwhelming, but with a plan, some flexibility, and picking your priorities, you can enjoy the season and go into next year on track with your goals. Happy Holidays! I can’t wait to see you succeed! 

~KLW