Summer often brings a different schedule, more travel, vacations, kids at home, pool parties and barbeques. Now that school is back in session, routines naturally start to become structured again. Even if you don’t have school-aged kids, September is the perfect time to “reset” before the holiday season approaches. This is a good time to ask yourself, “what do I want the next 3-4 months to look like?”
But before you start choosing new goals, look back at how the last eight months have gone and what you’ve accomplished so far. What has worked and what hasn’t? So many of us set unrealistic goals at the beginning of the year and fall short of accomplishing them because we don’t have a solid plan in place. Take a mental note of which habits have slipped, which ones have stuck around, and why you think that may have happened. Understanding what worked and what didn’t can help you make better decisions when setting your next goal.
Going into the final stretch of the year, pick ONE primary goal to focus on. In about 12 weeks, the holiday chaos will begin, and having just one healthy habit to focus on can make staying on track much more manageable. Choose something that feels realistic for this season. Some examples might be: “hitting my daily protein goal,” “walking 8,000 steps daily,” “improving my bedtime routine,” “strength training for 45 minutes, 3x per week,” or “reducing alcohol consumption.” You can certainly have supporting habits, but if nothing else, focus on that one goal and make it a priority.
Next, focus on the behaviors that will help you accomplish your goal. The outcome will only happen if you consistently focus on the daily actions you can control. Ask yourself, “What do I need to do consistently to reach this goal?”
Let’s break down some of the examples above and look at the specific actions that can help you accomplish each one.
1. Hit my daily protein goal
- Plan your dinners for the week and buy everything you need at the beginning of the week.
- Pre-prep 1–2 pounds of chicken, turkey, fish, or beef on Sunday to use for lunches throughout the week.
- Keep easy, convenient protein sources on hand that require little or no preparation, such as Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, meat sticks, protein shakes, or dry-roasted edamame.
- Start your day with 30+ grams of protein at breakfast. Having the same breakfast throughout the week can make this simple and eliminate some of the decision-making.
2. Walk 8,000 steps daily
- Wake up 20 minutes earlier and get outside for a morning walk.
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator when possible.
- Park farther away rather than searching for the closest parking spot.
- Take an after-dinner walk to get some movement in and help you reach your step goal.
3. Improve my bedtime routine
- Keep your phone and other screens out of bed.
- Dim the lights in your home during the hours leading up to bedtime to help signal to your body that it’s time to wind down.
- Read a book instead of scrolling on your phone before bed.
- Experiment with finishing your last meal or snack a couple of hours before bedtime if eating close to bed seems to interfere with your sleep.
- Create a consistent bedtime and wake-up time as much as possible.
4. Strength train 3 times a week for 45 minutes
- Schedule your workouts like any other important appointment. Put them on your calendar and treat that time as non-negotiable.
- Work out first thing in the morning if that works for you. Getting it done early can prevent the rest of the day from getting in the way.
- Have a backup plan for chaotic weeks. If you can’t get three weekday workouts in, could you train one weekday and both Saturday and Sunday?
- Remember that something is better than nothing. If 45 minutes isn’t possible one day, don’t automatically skip the workout.
5. Limit alcohol consumption
- Start by limiting alcohol to the weekends rather than drinking throughout the week.
- Take it one step further and choose just one night on the weekend to have a drink.
- Be intentional about social situations. If certain situations consistently lead to drinking more than you planned, consider whether you need to put yourself in those situations as often.
- Have a replacement drink on hand, such as sparkling water, iced tea, or a zero-calorie soda.
- Decide your limit before you start drinking rather than making the decision in the moment.
The point isn’t to do all of these things. It’s to look at your goal and identify the specific behaviors that will make achieving it more likely. The more you can turn your goal into a plan, the less you’ll have to rely on motivation.
Take advantage of the next 12 weeks before the holidays arrive. Twelve weeks is long enough to make meaningful progress but short enough to create some urgency. Instead of saying “I’ll start after the holidays,” use this time before the holidays to build momentum. You don’t have to completely transform yourself by Thanksgiving or Christmas. You can simply arrive at the holidays in a better place than you are today.
Don’t use the holidays as a stopping point or an excuse to put everything on hold til January 1st. You can still enjoy all the things while maintaining many of your healthy habits. Going into the holidays with several months of consistency behind you is very different than entering them feeling already off track.
You don’t need to wait for January to make a change. Pick one goal, make a plan, and start now. Use the next few months to make progress, build better habits, and head into the holiday season feeling stronger and more in control. Let January be a continuation of the progress you’ve already made, rather than another restart.
