It’s holiday time, and I hope you’re planning to take some time off to spend with your loved ones. We took Thanksgiving week to visit with family on the east coast, and it was so nice to be off schedule, tour a city I’d never been to, and just chill.

Just being away was the catalyst to do fun things and nothing, and sometimes that’s just what’s needed, particularly at this full season.

I was thinking about how nice it will be to take a break and I realized there’s lots of ways to fit one in without a lot of time or hassle.

Here are some of the ideas I came up with.  Maybe one or two will work for you!

  • Log off for the day.
  • Hang out and drink coffee with your partner all morning.
  • Take a drive to see holiday lights. 
  • Try a new recipe. Or bake cookies.
  • Bundle up and take a walk with the family.
  • Find a quiet space to reflect and set your intentions for the new decade(!)
  • Do a 10 minute yoga practice.
  • Have coffee at a café and people-watch.
  • Call an old friend and have a chat.
  • Sit down with a cup of tea and a great book.
  • Sleep in!
  • Play tug-of-war with the dog.
  • Stay in your pajamas all day.
  • Do something spontaneous (remember that?) 

“Create the highest, grandest vision possible for your life, because you become what you believe.” ~ Oprah Winfrey

Speaking of the new decade, the week between Christmas and New Year’s is a great time to take an hour or an afternoon and think about what you want this next chapter to look like.  Do you want to advance in your career? Slow down? Travel more? Maybe you want to spend more time with your partner or spouse, or maybe you want to create more quiet spaces in your life.  

Visualization techniques are used by athletes, creatives, in health care, and in business.  How you see yourself and how you envision your future can make you more capable of achieving that future.  Think of it as taking a trip – you’re not going to get very far if you just get in the car and drive without knowing where you want to go.  One of the most powerful effects of visualization is that it programs the subconscious brain. By taking the time to visualize what you want, you are programming your subconscious to move towards it.  You are providing your subconscious mind with a road map, if you will, that will move it towards your desired objectives.

Taking some time to reflect and set an intention on how you want your life to look can be a powerful force in moving towards it.  And it seems to me the start of a new decade is a perfect time to do that.

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However you choose to spend this time, I hope that you’re able to be with the people you love, and do the things that fill you up.  

Wishing you peace and love this season and beyond!

Suzanne