In six more weeks, there will be endless articles about making New Year’s resolution and taking steps to improve your physical and financial health in 2012. The irony is that the most damaging behavior physically and financially happens right now, in the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Rather than thinking about changing your behavior six weeks from now, why not rein in the decadence that can be the holiday season right now.
Physically – People indulge in foods they may not normally eat — sweets, pies, alcohol. Every day can be like a feast. If people even think about reining in their behavior, the thought of the next upcoming holiday party is enough to make them push that thought aside. Many people stop their healthy behaviors such as exercising daily because they become too busy in the holiday hoopla. With endless parties featuring food you may not typically eat, making healthy choices can be difficult.
Financially — People seem to let go of impulse control. Perhaps they feel giddy with the holiday season and spend more freely. More likely, they feel pressured to buy gifts for family, friends, and acquaintances. While shopping, they may treat themselves to meals out or gifts for themselves that they see on sale. Face it, marketing departments put a great deal of emphasis on the holiday season because that is when some stores make up to 33% of their annual revenue (USA Today). Their job is to make you spend, and marketers are very good at their jobs.
The majority of the physical and financial damage that leads people to a strict list of New Year’s resolutions occurs now, in the next six weeks. Anyone who has gained a significant amount of weight knows that it is simpler to avoid temptation little by little on a daily basis rather than go on a strict diet to lose 50 pounds. Likewise, people who have gone into debt knows that it is much easier to make financial cuts to stay out of debt rather than cutback and work harder to make extra money to dig yourself out of a financial hole.
What if you did something radical this holiday season. What if you budgeted both your food intake and your money. Sure it is okay to eat that decadent piece of pumpkin pie; just make sure you cut calories somewhere else, such as eating a modest portion for the meal and eating a healthy portion of vegetables. For holiday spending, set a budget now, before you hit the mall. Figure out exactly how much you have to spend this holiday season, and then work from there. Perhaps you could implement some creative strategies to still give nice gifts at a fraction of the price, making your holiday dollars stretch further. If you are still short on cash, you could take an extra job just during the holiday season to give you a little more spending money. Consider taking a temporary retail job, or be creative and create your own holiday jobs.
Too many people go on autopilot during the holiday season and overeat and overspend. Then they experience remorse and set several New Year’s resolutions, the majority of which they do not keep. Remove yourself from this painful cycle by making a plan now to stay fit and within your budget during this time of excess. You will be so happy you did come January.
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