It's my first Holiday with a minimalist mindset.
You see, for the past months, I've established to myself that minimalism is my way to grow.
Engage with less bullshit - focus on the good stuff.
But the holidays are giving the opposite results. And I can already see how it could mess up my progress.
- unwanted weight (fats) gain
- unwanted gifts (tho appreciated)
- additional tasks and engagements
My solution?
Stick to this angle: minimalism is a tool, not a goal.
1. The goal is to stay healthy, not to eat less.
There'll be a lot of food coming. It will fuck up your diet if reducing food intake is your goal.
But mine is to stay healthy.
My action plan:
- Go back to tracking what I eat
- Stay consistent with it
- Find time to walk and work out
Side note: This isn’t professional advice and my baby fats are proof. Just adding this list because it worked for me before. (I miss my pseudo-abs)
2. The goal is to stick with valuable stuff, not to own as less as possible.
Gifts will be there, small or big. Whether you want it or not, don't be a prick who won’t accept their gifts.
You don’t shove your lifestyle and beliefs to people’s faces.
Just be glad that they care enough to give you something.
My action plan:
- Share my wishlist with my closest circle
- Re-gift unnecessary items. Someone needs them more.
3. The goal is to be there for loved ones, not to keep the tradition going.
There'll be parties and traditions for sure. But some just don't work out for you anymore.
Maybe this year, a few karaokes are enough.
My action plan:
- Say no to the insignificant events, and yes to what excites me
- Make new traditions
This mindset will make my holidays more awesome. But when you think of it, it all boils down to this:
Sticking with what's meaningful.
One's you get that, things could get smoother.
But that’s not guaranteed, of course. I’m not a politician giving empty promises, in fact, I’m more confident in saying that these things may not even work even for me.
But you know what, I’ll just keep on with it with little adjustments along the way.
Because that’s what we do.
And hey, the new year is coming next.
Use its intensely motivational powers to keep on pursuing what matters.
Now whether minimalist or not, I hope this keeps you from falling into the spiral of your past self.
Especially during holidays.
Sincerely,
Johnrille “tool not a goal” Manalo
P.S. If you’re reading this you either enjoyed it or you have a good heart. Or both. Either way, that’s a reason why you should share this on social media.