How to have a mindful and best-ever holiday

Notice and reflect on this year in order to plan for next year and create your best holiday ever.

Be mindful of your December (here's another excuse to get yourself a new journal and a cute pen!). Check in at the start or end of every day and ask yourself,

how did that go?

what did I love?

what did I miss?

would I want to do that again?

do I wish I was doing something else?

Take advantage of your awareness of how you feel in the moment of your December days, or reflect the week after the holiday. Then use your Google calendar, or whatever system will help you catch these for next year, to schedule your answer: if you loved your gingerbread party, add a yearly repeating 'send out save the date' reminder. If you loved writing Christmas cards, but wish you had more time to write them, add an October 15th reminder that repeats yearly to order your cards. If you were overscheduled and regretted it, add a November 1 reminder to get all medical and haircut appointments done this month, and add a December 1 reminder to accept no extra invites this month. If you are sad you didn't get to go on a holidays lights drive, find the right day for next December to schedule that.

Using your feelings now will accurately inform your priorities for next year, while you can remember them! If you wait until the next round of holidays hit, you will likely have forgotten, or be too busy to break out of old habits. Go ahead and schedule your intentions now for your best holiday ever!