Can we use these next 4 weeks?

December is a somewhat crazy month! A month of highs and lows, stress and relaxation, endings and beginnings.

And, we can make it even crazier and do something life-changing.

 

 

So here’s an idea that we can wrap up as a gift certificate to give ourselves an early Christmas present!

“You have hereby received, from yourself, the gift of an hour a week in December to prepare for one life-changing new habit in 2015.”

 

For many of us the build-up to the holidays is often a mixed bag of

• joy in the season,
• anxiety over money,
• closeness with family,
• stress and over-commitments,
• over-indulgence with food,
• and memories of the year past!

And, as the holidays come to a close, as the year is ending and winter truly descending, December dishes out a bit of melancholy sparked with a dab of hope

• that the year to come will be better,
• that we will be better,
• that life will be better.

All we need  is one!

One new habit, one positive life change can provide us with a cornucopia of self-esteem, fulfillment, pride, and happiness. But since we all know that change takes work, we need to prepare for it.

So let’s ask ourselves these questions:

• Who do I want to be in 2015?
• How do I want my life to be different?
• How can I live more in alignment with my values?
• How can I be more loving to myself?

This does involve some thought, introspection, and planning!

Here are some suggestions for us:

1. CHOOSE just one habit to create.

Something small and easy that will take only 5 minutes a day for the first couple of weeks. (Rather than committing to a full over-haul of our diet, picking one positive change-like adding an extra serving of vegetables to our daily meals.)

 

2. PLAN the time when it will be easy to do it.

Try setting it up immediately following a “trigger.” (A trigger is an already-established habit we do regularly, like doing a simple weight exercise right after brushing our teeth.)

 

And we need to set up a reward system, giving ourselves 5 minutes of favorite music or a piece of dark chocolate or putting gold stars on a calendar! YES!

3. ENSURE that we will follow through.

Set up a system of accountability beforehand (a friend, an online support group, comments on our Facebook page.)

 

As for me…

I asked myself the four thought-provoking questions listed above. And I’ve chosen my one new habit.

My one new habit to start in December and to continue, hopefully, in January will be slowing down by taking a 5-days-a-week 20 minute afternoon break around 2:00pm to just sit and do nothing.

(It might even lead to meditation, but I don’t want it to turn into a nap)!

 I want to focus more of my time on “being” rather than my usual “doing” and I know this may well be a challenge with my “doing” habit of so many years!

My accountability will be a P.S. on each of my Sunday blog posts in January, so keep me on your radar and hold me accountable!

 

I’m hoping to make a shift by starting small!

What new habit would you be interested in starting?