One Small Action Before January

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You don’t need to overhaul your life before the new year. Choose one nervous-system-safe action, finish it, and enter January with momentum instead of pressure. Here’s how to pick it.

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December can get dramatic.

Not just because of the “new year, new me” noise — but because it’s the month our perfectionism likes to do an audit we didn’t ask for.

“Didn’t hit that.”
“Didn’t move as consistently.”
“Didn’t finish the thing.”

And then, to fix that feeling of lack, we swing to the other extreme:
“Okay, I’ll just start fresh in January.”
“Next year I’ll be disciplined.”
“Future me will handle it.”

But what if it didn’t have to be a finish line or a starting line?
What if December got to be a gentle bridge — where you do one thing now, at the pace you actually have, so you don’t abandon yourself and hand everything over to “next year me”?

Not to prove you can hustle — to remind yourself you can still follow through, even when the year has been messy.

Why just one action?

Because your nervous system loves completion more than it loves potential.

• Ten half-started ideas = scattered, guilty, “I should…”

• One action done = regulated, proud, “I can.”

Finishing something — even something small — gives you real evidence to carry into January. You’re not starting from zero. You’re continuing.

Step 1: Choose what season you’re in

Before you pick the action, ask: “What do I actually need right now?” (not what Instagram says you should be doing in December)

Pick the closest one:

1. Stabilising season → you’ve been stretched, tired, or inconsistent.
   You need grounding, not growth.

2. Clearing season → you’re carrying little “open loops” (half-finished admin, random to-dos, content you meant to post).
   You need relief.

3. Building season → you’re ready to start momentum for next year.
   You need a tiny start.

Step 2: Pick your one action

Here are examples for each season — not to do all of them, just to show what “one” can look like.

1. If you’re stabilising…

Choose something regulating that’s easy to repeat.

• 5-minute morning breath for the next 5 weekdays

• 10-minute walks on office days

• One yoga / slow movement session per week till Jan

• Clear your space once (desk, bedroom, practice corner)

Why it works: your body enters the new year in “I can settle” mode, not “I’m running on fumes.”

2. If you’re clearing…

Choose something that removes noise.

• Inbox to zero (or 50) and one simple system for Jan

• Finish and send the thing you’ve been avoiding

• Close out 2025 expenses/admin

• Make your “ready to post” folder for Jan/Feb

Why it works: you stop carrying low-grade stress into your next season.

3. If you’re building…

Choose something that creates a clear runway.

• Outline 3 pieces of content for January

• Map your weekly movement / mindfulness plan

• Draft your offer / workshop idea in bullet points

• Book the thing (class, training, shoot, retreat)

Why it works: January-you doesn’t have to “get inspired” — she just has to follow the plan.

Step 3: Make it nervous-system-safe

Whatever you picked, shrink it to what you can do on a tired December day.

• 30 minutes → 15

• 15 minutes → 5

• whole project → outline

• full class → 2 shapes + breath

Then — this is the big one — let that count.
December doesn’t need your maximum; it needs your continuity.

Step 4: Close it with a reflection

When you’ve done your one action, write 3 lines:

1. “The action I took:” ___

2. “Why it mattered:” ___

3. “What this proves about me going into January:” ___

This locks the win in before your brain tries to move the bar.

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You don’t have to arrive in January exhausted from “fixing” yourself in December. You can arrive having kept one promise to yourself.

One action. One nervous-system-friendly win. One piece of evidence that you can return.

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