[Or “Fuck you, holidays. I’m getting my life back!]

I read somewhere a few days ago that Americans get ridiculous around the holidays. We start with too many sweets on Halloween. Then we stuff ourselves on Thanksgiving Day. We feast some more on Christmas and then get smashed on New Year’s Eve.

This two-month binge only results in an oh-shit moment on January 1st.

We start a new diet and sign up for gym memberships. We promise to stick to a strict health regime (this time!) to compensate for the last few weeks of overindulgence. What to do now to revert back to the previous weight and energy level? All that’s left is disgust and discouragement.

I’ve experienced something similar. But besides eating more and exercising less, I also let a few areas of my life go haywire. The house becomes a mess with too much stuff. There are holiday decorations, gifts and kids’ toys not put away. There’s so much leftover food in the fridge that I can’t tell what’s what. And clutter everywhere, with house chores piled up, what with having too many people over.

I forget about my personal projects. I lose track of most, if not all, of my daily routines and habits. The holidays blow a hole through any sanity and organization in my life. It’s a lot of fun with family and friends but leaves a pretty price to pay.

I’ve decided to do things differently this year! I plan to use December as the month to prep for the next year, as opposed to losing it all in a blur, only to find myself scrambling to figure out how to get my life back in January.

December will be my get-my-shit-together month! So by the time January comes around, I can get on with the year already and not waste it the way I’ve done so many years in the past.

Insert big crossed fingers here.