Holiday Planning with the Seinfeld Strategy
Have you ever noticed that sometimes, as we head into the stress of the holiday season, we tend to lose track of all the good things we’ve accomplished over the year, because we’re focusing more on the typical holiday season mishaps? STOP! Take a step back and think about your accomplishments. Do you have something that six months ago you thought you couldn’t change or do? This isn’t limited to just physical accomplishments; these can include reducing sugar in your diet, drinking more water, getting more sleep, not having coffee after noon, or increasing protein in every meal. Take a moment to remember how far you’ve come over the past six months and be proud of that. Let’s face it, we will have days when we “Fall off” track, but the goal is to not let that stop us from moving forward. Use the idea of framing your thoughts in the positive, thinking about what you HAVE done well, to help you to start again, today! Don’t wait until January, you are worth it right now! You must remember that with each small change we are creating a healthy habit without realizing it. It’s the combination of these changes that aids us in achieving our goals. So, here’s something to try to get you on track NOW and through the holidays! It’s called “The Seinfeld Strategy.”
How it works: Get a calendar or create a spreadsheet – something you can post on your wall. The bigger the better.
- Every day you follow your plan FULLY, draw a big red X over the day
- After a few days, you’ll see a nice-looking chain starting to build … a chain that gets longer and longer every day!
- Your goal: DON’T BREAK THE CHAIN!
The key is to set yourself up for success by choosing something you KNOW you can accomplish each day. (Example: “I will move for 20 minutes every day” is much more realistic this time of year than “I will work out for 60 minutes every day”.
Step #1: What’s the action you want to commit to EVERY day for the rest of the year?
Step #2: What’s the minimum threshold for being able to draw that “X” on your calendar?
Step #3: Do it every day and watch that chain grow!
If something happens and you miss a day, note how many days you kept up your streak. Then start back ASAP to beat your old streak. This is a POWERFUL way to help build consistency – especially during the time of year when our self-care sometimes takes a back seat. You’ll be building some MOMENTUM to a healthier you through the holidays!
“When the finish line seems too far away, remember how you felt when you were back at the starting line. Regain that motivation to recharge your momentum.” ~ Toni Sorenso
So let go of your mishaps and regain your momentum and remember:
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” ~ Confucius
