I don’t know about you, but the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve is one of my favorite weeks of the year.

The “ber” months (October, November, December) are my favorite, but they feel like a marathon. By the time we make it to Christmas, I’m crashing through the finish line, chugging water, and craving a hamburger.

Okay, I’ve never actually run a marathon, but that’s what I imagine it feels like.

The mental gymnastics it takes to make these months magical, maintain some sense of normal so my kids don’t get overloaded, and keep up with all the regular adult and parenting responsibilities feels like someone flipped life into hard mode. It’s probably why January always feels so boring. We’ve been moving at full speed for months, and then suddenly everything comes to a screeching halt.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful to have one boring month a year. I need that break.

So what does that week between Christmas and New Year’s look like for me?

I intentionally do as little as possible to recharge my battery. I become a hermit. Mentally, my brain is basically mush. Whatever focus I have left goes toward reflection on the past year.

I ask myself questions like:

What went well?
What could be improved?
Where did I struggle?

I ask these questions across different areas of my life, including parenting, self-care, marriage, personal growth, my relationships with each child, and friendships.

This isn’t the only time I reflect on these things, but it’s a perfect opportunity for a deeper dive. That reflection sets the foundation for my January routine. Since January is slower, it’s when I create my yearly plan.

I take what I learned during that last week of December and ask myself what I want to accomplish in the year ahead. Again, I look at this through the same areas of life: parenting, self-care, marriage, personal growth, relationships with my kids, and friendships.

From there, I start with one Big Hairy Audacious Goal.

This year it was: Start the Three Star Mom blog and get my feet wet with both writing and posting videos on social media.

Then I ask myself how I’m going to get there.
What are the steps?
How can I make this measurable?

I break that big goal down into quarterly and monthly goals. That way, when it’s time to plan my month, I already know the next step. I’m not staring at my to-do list wondering where to start or what I should be working on.

I hope you were able to take a break after the holidays.

I hope you took time to breathe, recharge, and reflect.

Remember, even race cars pull over during a race to refuel and change their tires. It’s okay to slow down in January.

You did it.

You made the “ber” months magical.

Give yourself a pat on the back and remind yourself just how amazing you are.