What to Do in The Six Days Between Christmas and New Year’s

The six days between Christmas and New Year’s can be a very dynamic time. Here are six things that will get your year off to a great start:

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New things bring excitement.

This is so true, especially with the celebration of a New Year. At least, for most it is. (If this isn’t you, refer to point number 3 below.) For most, celebrating the New Year is a time of anticipation and excitement!

A New Year brings new opportunities, do-overs, and new chances to tackle life.

So, here are 6 things to do in the six days between Christmas and New Year’s:

Celebrate the Victories

I believe in giving honor where honor is due. This can be more than just an inward respect.

Celebrating the people in your life (or yourself) for the battles won and victorious accomplishments is a great thing to do in the six days between Christmas and New Year’s.

Look at it this way.

There’s not a special holiday designated to celebrate the small victories in life.

There isn’t a day set aside for personal break throughs or wins.

So, why not take the time to celebrate what mattered in your life? It’s a great time to do that!

• Host a special dinner in honor of a person or event.
• Write “Thank You” cards to the people in your life that blessed you this year.
• Take the time to say those words of gratitude to the people that deserve it.
• Have a party in honor of you or your family’s hard work this year.

We often soldier on with whatever is next, never taking the time to actually celebrate and be proud of how far we’ve come. Maybe it’s progress in the garden, home decorating, your job, some aspect of healing, etc.

Thank God for what you (and He) has done this year.

Reflect on Past Failures

We naturally tend to experience times of reflection during the six days between Christmas and New Year’s. Something about the holiday season brings this out.

Maybe it’s the family time. It could be the sense of one door closing and another door opening. Either way, our minds drift to the past.

You don’t have to “dwell on the past” per se. But there are some benefits from revisiting what worked/didn’t work in preparation for the future.

Those six days between Christmas and New Year’s are a great opportunity to:

• jot down some thoughts,
• compile a list,
• write in your journal,
• pray, or
• talk our with a loved one the events of the last year.

Think of it as a spring board. Basically when you reflect on your failures and successes, it can lend itself to a particular actions or movements in the future.

You may have heard it said, “Don’t let the past come back to get you.” Well… we don’t want to make the same mistakes twice. So, take a look at it and make a plan on how to do better.

Take Time to Heal

Life isn’t always easy. And if you’re human- chances are you’ve experienced some pain this last year.

Maybe it’s pain from a relationship, pain from a loss, or even physical pain. And let me say that it’s even ok if you just have unexplained pain.

Really, these six days between Christmas and New Year’s can be a painful time for some. The holidays themselves can be difficult. I hate to say it, but it’s simply a reality.

So… this year let’s take this in-between time and try to do some healing.

Personal healing has to happen on a person’s own timeline. Likewise, personal healing has to happen when a person is ready to heal.

I want to encourage you to dedicate some time this year to seek after some personal healing if you need it. These “in-between” days can be a special occasion for you to seek after and find some relief.

This may look different for me than it does for you. Depending on your personality you may…

• heal better in a room full of noisy family,
• in a quiet place of prayer and reflection,
• by pouring yourself into a hobby,
• or by letting everything go and just being still for a few days,
• ordering some new books on a topic you need to dive into,
• decide to get some professional help in an area you haven’t been able to make progress in.

I encourage you to seek out some healing during these six days between Christmas and New Year’s.

Reach Out & Speak Out

Time goes by so fast. People are very busy. Are there people this year that you wish you could have spent more time with- or wish you could have spoken more with?

Reach out! In these six days between- give them a call, or even just send them a txt. It’s nice to know that someone is thinking about you, even if it’s just every once in a while.

Maybe it’s an aunt that you haven’t really talked with since last year, or a friend from school that has drifted away.

It’s going to feel good to reach out and speak with some of these people in your life.

In a similar token, this time between Christmas and New Year’s has a way of emboldening us to say things that need to be said.

It may be that you take this opportunity to call up that person that needs to hear your voice.

Or, it may be that it’s time to make a mends with the loved one that has been estranged.

Set Personal Goals (Review Your Dreams)

Setting New Year’s resolutions is no strange thing. It’s everywhere. Even when we were kids, we did this in school.

We should be realistic about our dreams… and we should set personal goals to achieve those dreams. It’s good to make sure they are “SMART” goals so we aren’t dreaming of impossible things. Then feeling guilty or defeated they don’t happen.

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Realistic
• Timely

So, don’t wait until December 31st at 11:58 to jot down some quick crazy goals. NO…..

Instead, take these six days between Christmas and New Year’s to review your dreams. Take those dreams and set some SMART goals for your future year.

Rest, Rejuvenate, & Enjoy

Lastly, get some rest.

Christmas is over and you’ll hit the ground running on January 1st. So… take some time to rest, rejuvenate, and enjoy yourself.

• Pamper yourself.
• Take lots of hot bubble baths.
• Do a personal Bible study.
• Take some nature walks.
• Simply play with the kids.
• Go to the park just because.
• Laugh & enjoy your family’s company.

You have worked hard this year, so celebrate this time together. You deserve it.

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The post What to Do in The Six Days Between Christmas and New Year’s appeared first on A Mother Far from Home.