It's a great, festive time of the year. But, for most of us, it's downright hectic with travel, gifting and visiting. Here are some tips to help you to enjoy the good in the holidays and plan for reinvention in the New Year.

Use The Holidays as a Time to Plan for Success  by Dianne Orwig

You know what I love about the holidays? I love the fact that lots of things get put on the back burner. Yes…even eating right and exercising.

Now, that might sound surprising coming from a success coach and fitness trainer. You might even wonder why I would suggest that giving into this natural shift in focus that seems to happen on a global level this time of year could possibly be a better choice than sticking to your guns.

“Isn’t the back burner a bad thing?” you might ask.

“Isn’t it your job, Dianne, to make sure people don’t let their diet and exercise plan fall in the toilet?”

Well, sure, on one level that may be true. But as I see it, my job is also to help people maximize their energy, focus, and time…and banging your head against the fitness wall through the holidays isn’t always the best choice. Read more>>

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Uncomplicate Your Holidays by Organized by Marcie

Many families are all about acquiring when December rolls around.  Then, when the holidays are over, they ask, “Is that all there is?”  To keep the holidays from overwhelming you and to bring some more meaning, think about the following:

If you exchange gifts with a lot of people, see if you can shorten your list.  Ask if some of them would prefer to go to lunch as a group or draw names so you all buy fewer gifts. Most people don’t need more stuff and would probably be relieved to buy fewer things, too.

If you have found it difficult to reduce the number of gifts you give, challenge yourself this year to buy fewer gifts and make them more meaningful.  Can you offer gifts of time with the people you love instead of buying them something they don't really need?   How about treating someone to a play, concert or meal?  If you live far apart and can't go together, what about buying tickets for an event?  In return, ask people for gifts of time, instead of things you need to store.

Read more>>

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As you reflect on the past year, are you looking at all you've accomplished? Make a list of the top 5 things you've done in various facets of your life: career, relationships, health, spirituality.  You can actually do this over dinner or wine with a close friend or family member. Share your accomplishments with each other. It's a way of acknowledging yourself and the other person. Then, make a list for what you want to do next year. Think how great this ritual will be come next December! 

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Do You Value Your Accomplishments? by Rosalind Joffe

A football game can teach us a lot about patience and small successes.  I'm  not a fan but family members are. Watching a game recently, I saw a bunch of guys running around who looked like they didn't have a clue about what was going on.  But I was wrong.  They had a very clear idea of what they're doing.  And, more importantly, they knew what to do if things didn't turn out as they had planned.

What's even more interesting is that most of the time, football players are moving this ball, bit by bit, up a field only to find that someone gets in the way of their progress and the field changes completely! Read more >>

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