How to Stay on Track Through the Vibrancy of the Holiday Season

Let’s face it. Staying motivated and engaged during the holiday season can be difficult for many of us. Whether it’s maintaining the habits and routines you’ve worked hard to set for yourself, or sticking to personal or academic deadlines, staying on track is not easy, but it’s also not impossible.

Before we talk about how to stay on track during the holiday season, let’s begin by understanding how best to utilize goals and goal setting. According to Gary P. Latham goal setting has the underlying premise that our conscious goals, the ones we actively set for ourselves, are directly correlated with what we achieve (126). For example, if one wants to achieve a certain level of proficiency within a specified timeframe it helps to have a specific goal that helps with performance around the thing they are trying to become proficient in. Studies show that the more specific a goal is the higher the likelihood of achieving said goal in comparison to the use of vague goals (Latham 2004; Kelly, McGlynn 2017; Moeller, Theiler, Wu, 2012). An example of this can be refining a vague goal such as “work on school things” or “write as best as you can”, both vague goals, to a more specific goal, such as “Finish assignment 1a for Chemistry by 5pm” or “Write 500 words on Monday”. Not only is this far more specific and less abstract, but it also increases the likelihood of feeling more accomplished afterwards given that you’re able to see the progress via the completion of the tasks. 

During the holiday season, which tends to be a busy time for many, these specific goals can be minimized so that progress is still felt. I’m a big believer in small wins. I’m also a big believer in that the only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. As you rest and recharge, remember to set goals for yourself that are digestible and realistic so you can maintain your progress and stay on track as you enter the New Year. Whether it’s school, a work project, or personal goals here are some tips on things you can do to help keep you on track. First and foremost, a little goes a long way. Let’s say you have a college essay to write, because deadlines are fast approaching. Slowing down to enjoy the holidays and time with your family is very important, but it doesn’t mean that the essay needs to be ignored. Staying on track can be as simple as reading over what you’ve written every morning before the socializing begins. It can be going for a short walk around the neighborhood and jotting some ideas into your Notes app on your phone of things you’d like to write about. If you’re comfortable with this, it could even be you talking about your essay with someone you trust. The idea here isn’t to continue at the pace you had prior to the holiday break, but to not let the work you’ve done sit for too long without acknowledging it. 

Goals are best when they have an “external referent for evaluation” (Latham 2004), which need not always be an individual, but could be as simple as the word count or the submission of the assignment in the examples provided. 

With this in mind, setting a goal doesn’t automatically mean one’s achievements improve. Studies have shown that a key feature of effective goals is creating them to be SMART (Lyon 2014; Kelly, McGlynn 2017):

Specific: The goal should have an end point and be specific and as narrow as possible for more effectiveness. “What is the focus of your goal (2017)?”

Measurable: You should be able to measure the progress. Make the goal visible! “How will you measure your progress (2017)?”

Attainable: Make sure the goal is attainable within a certain time frame you set for yourself. “Can you achieve this goal in the time you have allotted (2017)?”

Relevant: The goal must be important to you/relevant to you and your life. “How does this relate to something you are interested in?”

Timebound: Realistic, but ambitious end date to increase motivation. “What deadlines will you set to check your progress on meeting this goal (2017)?”

Being specific about goal setting is a useful tool for maintaining motivation due to our ability to self-assess our progress, but how do we facilitate goals and stay on track during the holidays? During the holiday season it is no secret that we are much more autonomous. We don't have all the external pressures and accountability partners keeping us on track—it’s up to us. For many people, the time away from work, school, or personal goals, can be really difficult. Imagine that you’ve spent so much time over the last handful of months building up habits, developing a routine, accomplishing your goals, and now you’re confronted with the dreaded holiday break that threatens to topple all of your progress. There’s also the added pressure of wanting to start the New Year off right, or to end the year on a good note. Maybe there’s the feeling of guilt associated with the things you didn’t do in 2024. As your own worst critic, you begin developing a strong perspective around what you’ve done and how you want to move forward and while the holiday period can be a good reset, it can also be a good opportunity to not give up on the small things you’re already doing in the hopes of doing it better when the new year comes around. 

Along with setting goals that are SMART, maintaining motivation during the holiday season can be aided by visual progress. According to Kelly and McGlynn (2017), creating visuals for yourself or supporting a young adult in doing so can help the individual stay motivated. This can be as simple as placing a gold star on a progress tracking sheet or getting creative and having a house currency that can be redeemed for rewards such as a trip to the movies. The importance here is creating a system that will allow one to see and measure the progress and provide a reward for the hard work.

Now, my disclaimer here is that it’s ok to break the rules and to adjust things to fit YOU. If there’s a nugget of information here that resonates with you don’t be afraid to take it and add your own flair to it! There is no right or wrong way to stay on track during the holiday season, but there is beauty in trying. Take that needed break, hold those boundaries, and squeeze in those small wins wherever possible. And with that, I leave you with a “good luck, and a happy New Year!”