Finish Strong

We often throw in the towel on all of our goals around Halloween. We decide the last sixty days of the year don’t count or matter. Have you had any of these thoughts:

• 2021 is almost over. Why bother now?
• It’s “the holidays”. I shouldn’t try to lose weight or eat healthily or move more. 
• I will wait for the new year and start fresh.
• It is too stressful and busy to finish the things I want to get done. 
• I need to save (money, time, energy, etc.) for the holidays.

These thoughts seem factual, but are they? Think about it. “The Holidays” account for only a few days. There are sixty-two days from Halloween to December 31st. That is close to 17% of the year. When you think about it like that, the time between Halloween and a new year is significant. Waiting for another day/time/season to take action will keep you stuck in the same location you are now. 

What could you accomplish in the last two months of 2021?

What finish lines could you cross in 17% of a year? 

Ways to finish 2021 strong:

Pull out your 2021 goals and analyze the data. Are you close to making some of them? Is it possible to cross the finish line on any of them? If you have not set any goals for 2021, what is one goal you could accomplish in the next 60, 45, or 30 days? Use the following steps to recommit to your goals going into the final stretch:

1. Be specific in what you want to accomplish.
2. Reset your motivation and dedication to your goals for the last 60.
3. Create a simple plan and map out how you can get there.
4. Find a way to track the data. Challenge yourself to reach the milestones.
5. Increase accountability during the holidays. Don’t sideline your accountability.
6. Schedule it. If you want something to happen, then block off the time to make it so.

You may need to let something go to complete the thing that matters to you. Look at your planner/calendar. Are there commitments that you made that have run their course? As the leaves fall from the trees and we enter a new season, we can do the same. Let some things fall away. Let them go.

What is a healthy habit you can add? Something easy that does not require any time to implement. I am not competitive with others, but I do thrive on competing with myself. I find joy in challenging myself to level up on my wellness routine.

Here are a few small and easy habits that do not require much effort and will give you a solid return on your investment:

• Commit to drinking 64 ounces of water every day through the end of the year
• Commit to turning off electronics at a specific time each evening
• Challenge yourself to do planks every day 
• Go to bed 10 minutes earlier than usual
• Start your day with gratitude
• End your day with gratitude
• Add a 5-minute meditation a day for the rest of the year
• Switch one calorie-loaded drink for a glass of water
• Take a dance break or standing break every hour at work.
• Do 10 squats while brushing your teeth
• Wake up 5 minutes earlier for the rest of the year, even on weekends

Finally, I am big on self-care (not grand and exciting self-care). If you follow me on socials, know me in person, or read my work, you know I am a fan of boring self-care. I encourage caregivers to do things to improve their health. A healthy caregiver is a better caregiver. In the spirit of that, what well-checks have you postponed or procrastinated in scheduling? Make a game to fit in as many as possible before the end of 2021. Your body will thank you.

Here’s to finishing 2021 strong and moving into 2022 with habits that will propel you across more finish lines.