Years ago at a conference in LA, a coach, to whom I was paying a ton of money, asked in the very first session, how many of us had a regular gratitude practice.
The room was full of coaches and consultants so, of course, nearly every hand went up. Then he said, "how many of you did it this morning?"
An embarassed chuckle followed, and only about half the hands went up. I mean, c'mon buddy, we flew here and sat in LA traffic. I didn't eat until midnight. My bags are in Dallas.
"Guys," he said. "A habit is something you do every day, no matter what else is happening."
I suppose that includes the holidays.
This is not about guilt or year-end hustle.
Nobody needs that at this time of year - or ever really. It's an acknowledgement that hope springs eternal at the start of every year, and even if you're resisting year-end hustle mentality, it's natural, healthy even, to consider what you'd like to create in 2026.
I'm here to help you do that.
I'm reminding you how good it feels to make tiny, regular progress on something you care about, even when stuff is going down - which it very much is. There's a secret pride that swells in my chest when I make and keep commitments to myself - especially when the world feels dark and chaotic.
It's like the pride I feel seeing Seattle's Pike Place Market - my homeland - all lit up for Christmas. "Ah, would you look at that."
Your brain loves progress.
Making progress - even an inch at a time, if that's all you can muster - is one of my favorite portals to joy, but most people don't connect those dots.
Research shows, your brain releases dopamine every time you make moves on a goal. Dope hits feel good, which fuels motivation and reinforces the action. It's a postive feedback loop.
I've taught goal setting and habit management forever, so my clients know that new year's resolutions at Girl Catch Fire start in October. That way, we have a fighting chance of making them habitual before the holidays.
Sadly, habits that begin January 1 - when we're carrying 10 extra pounds and a hangover - are often sentenced to die by the second Friday in January, which is known as "quitters day."
The reason 64% of people quit their resolutions before February, is simply because most of us are doing it wrong. We eat, drink and party like Motley Crue through the holidays, then, despite ample evidence to the contrary, we hope we'll be different on January 1 - disciplined, focused, ok with privation etc.
Has that ever worked? For anyone? LMK if you know someone. Here's another cute pic of Seattle.
What Does Work? Small. Boring. Regular.
Let's say you want to start a yoga practice in 2026. (Feel free to pick something here that makes sense to you.)
Sure, inflencers say you start by buying Lululemon outfits, a new mat, a stainless steel water bottle that clangs on the floor when you accidentally hit it in class, a green juicer and a membership to the downtown studio with the bad parking. Nope. That is how new habits fail - too many chances to say no.
Maybe there's a time for that, but it sure isn't ten days before Christmas. When you're serious about creating a new habit, today is the best day to start. Not January 1.
So, we've got to make it accessible.
Accessible means starting with WHY.
- Why do you even want a yoga practice?
- What might get in your way? (Oh some shitty belief about how you're not flexible or you don't have time, or taking time for yourself makes you selfish? Yikes.)
- What do you want to believe instead that will help you develop a yoga habit?
- Great. Let's condition that idea. Stick it on the bathroom mirror. Read it every morning.
Do you see how neglecting those four steps might have put a few splendid yoga plans in the ground? It happens all the time. But once you've got that sorted, all you really need is a mat. (Even that's negotiable.) Here's how to begin:
- As soon as possible - today ideally - roll out your mat.
- Get on it.
- Rest in child's pose for a few minutes and breathe. See what happens.
- Get up. Roll up the mat. Put it away.
- Do it again tomorrow. Block time out in your planner (or ours).
And here's a helpful maxim: It's ok to miss one day, but never miss two. Even if you move the ball just one yard down the field, that's still one yard closer.
Or as the Prophet Zechariah says, Don't despise the days of small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.
Why this works so much better.
Because this isn't child's pose.
This is.
And most everybody can do this. You can do this, if you will just get on your mat - or the carpet. In fact your hips, spine and nervous system will thank you.
Plus, child's pose is generative, not punitive. That's a key to building habits that stick. If the idea on your bathroom mirror is, "I love myself by getting on my mat," that's generative, not punitive. Five minutes a day is a win because you're building the habit, not necessarily becoming the women with the incredibly free shoulders in the picture.
And Maybe That's Enough for Today.
Our habits also fade we do too much too soon and it becomes unsustainable. Often that's a planning problem, but sometimes it's the curse of the hyper-achiever. Don't forget, nobody is handing out productivity medals, though we sure act like it.
You can be slow, quiet and boring about the habits you're building to support the person you're becoming, or you can be wild and loud about it. Just be consistent. That's all that matters.
And if you find yourself jamming just one more task into your day, despite being exhausted, try saying: "Maybe I've done enough for today." Then go look at the stars. Or get in child's pose again.
After a while, these bite-sized commitments become part of your rhythm and in keeping them, you've given yourself something to feel proud of. When you make and keep a commitment to yourself, you learn to trust yourself, and that's priceless.
Remember, it's not the goal that matters. It's who you become in pursuit of the goal that matters. Your why + your tiny, daily habits are what gets you there.
Happy Holidays.
Responses