8 December Goals to Crush the End of the Year

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Last Updated on December 3, 2024

December is a tricky month for goal setting, indeed. On one hand, it’s your last chance to accomplish your yearly goals. But on the other…you don’t want to go so hard that you can’t enjoy your holidays!

If there’s any month to practice balance, it’s with your December goals for sure.

This means…

NO GUILT about going off-routine and indulging in Christmas activities, food, and fun
YES TO PRIORITIZING the heck outta the goals you’d be happiest to complete by the end of the year

So…don’t go searching through your journal for those old new year’s resolutions and panic when you realize you didn’t accomplish half of them. Be realistic about what goals will really add value to your life and narrow it down to what matters!

Table of Contents

8 December Goal Ideas to Squeeze In Those Last-Minute Wins

These goals for the month of December are balance-focused, giving you last-minute goal ideas that are productive yet mindful. You don’t need to go crazy – grabbing just a few goals from this list will help you finish the year on a high note!

Don’t forget about these December goal ideas! Pin ‘em to come back later!

1. Do an Annual Reflect & Reset

Like any good end of year goal, reflecting on the year you’ve just had is a must.

Grab a journal and simmer on a few things: what were your highs? Your lows? The month that made you feel on top of the world? The month that felt like total sh*t?

Think about where your head was back in January. Have your priorities shifted since then? If you manage to dig up those ancient new year’s resolutions, you might find that some of them don’t even make sense to pursue anymore.

In which case, why would you beat yourself up for not hitting goals that don’t make sense anymore? It’s reflective activities like this that serve as the check-in we need to pivot our focus accordingly!

2. Make Your Family and Friends the Big Focus

Naturally, you may be spending more time with family and friends during the holiday season. But I want you to truly lean into this!

Quality time is a precious resource that’s hard to come by for most of the year, so make this opportunity count. This means slowing down, clearing your calendar, and releasing yourself from busy-bee mode.

Think of it this way: how often do you truly celebrate your loved ones? In the hustle and bustle of life, it’s easy to take the best people in our lives for granted. Take the month of December to be more mindful and present during those joyful holiday gatherings – you’ll be glad you did!

3. Adjust Your Skincare Routine for Winter

If you’re anything like me, your skincare needs can be wildly different in summer vs. winter. I run SO dang oily in the summer, but I’m finding nothing but dry patches once the harsh winter weather kicks in.

Think about whether you need to adjust your moisturizing frequency and which skincare products to drop and which to add.

Because it’s pretty common to feel your skin drying out come December, I can’t not share my go-to products that make alllll the difference in managing my dry skin in the winter!

Essential Winter Skincare #1: Non-Foaming Cleanser – foam won’t give your skin the moisture it needs, so I always make sure I stock up on my Cerave Hydrating Facial Cleanser that’s specifically for dry skin
Essential Winter Skincare #2: Vitamin C Serum – this brightens your skin when the dry weather has it looking dull. My favorite vitamin C serum I’ve tried is The Ordinary’s Ascorbyl Glucoside Vitamin C Serum
Essential Winter Skincare #3: A High Quality Moisturizer – a no-brainer, right? My go-to winter moisturizer is easily Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Refillable Moisturizing Cream. Not only does it tame my dryness, but I’ve noticed it makes my skin texture more even!

Want to make it easy for yourself and grab a skincare set? I would go for The Balance Set from The Ordinary. It’s surprisingly affordable for a 4-piece set and it has all the dry-skin-busters: a good cleanser, salicylic acid, niacinamide, and a fantastic moisturizer!

The Balance Set from The Ordinary

GRAB IT NOW

4. Finish Gift Shopping in the First Week of December

Because why deal with the unnecessary stress that is last-minute Christmas shopping? Do yourself a favor: get the last of your gifts wrapped and ready to go as early as possible. Seriously, the earlier in December the better.

Think about how much better it’ll be to actually relax a bit this month instead of scrambling!

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5. Set Up a Self-Care Advent Calendar

Basically, pick out one self-care activity for each day in December–almost like a little wellness advent calendar!

BUT schedule them in advance so you take the decision fatigue out and so you’ve got something soothing to look forward to everyday.

This is the perfect way to keep your December balanced and relaxing! And these activities don’t have to take up a ton of your time either. I suggest picking self-care activities that take no more than 5-15 minutes. You wanna make sure you’ll actually stick to them, after all.

If coming up with 31 self-care activities sounds a little impossible, my December self care ideas cover most of them for you 😉

6. Designate a Weekly “Digital Detox Day”

This is something good you can do for your mind this December. Let’s be real, I don’t think anyone is pleased with their screen time stats when that little notification pops up.

So give yourself the gift of more time and less negativity this month by having a screen-free day each week!

Maybe you realize there’s not much you need to be doing online on Sundays, for example. It probably wouldn’t hurt to make Sundays your digital detox day. And go touch some grass while you’re at it, lol!

7. Hop on the Mindful Mornings Trend

I’m seeing a lot of people talk about the idea of “mindful mornings” and I absolutely love it! Basically, all you need to do is find one moment of mindfulness in some way, shape, or form in the morning. It could be literally anything.

Make it a point to savor each sip of your coffee. Curl up next to your window, noticing everything you see outside. Take three deep breaths before you start your first task of the day.

Honestly, anything that helps you feel more grounded and connected to what’s going on around you. It really does feel amaaaazing.

GET AHEAD: New Year’s Goal Ideas You Don’t Want to Start Next Year Without

8. Eat Up and Enjoy Your Food Guilt-Free

Food and body image are a bit of a taboo subject that I tend to avoid on the blog. But I can’t let this one go unaddressed.

The reality is that soooo many people struggle with food around the holidays. It’s a balancing act between indulging in foods you love, but trying your darndest NOT to let it impact your body image. Easier said than done for some of us, as I know is the case for myself sometimes.

But that special balance can be achieved when you remind yourself that, quite frankly, your eating habits in December are not reflective of your norm!

When you give yourself the permission to enjoy your food, trusting that there’s no reason why you won’t go back to your typical (likely healthier) eating habits, you can focus more on the bigger picture: spending your holidays with the people you love, doing the things you love.

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You’re in the home stretch. Make your monthly goals count!

Let December light some fire under you and finish the year strong! Sometimes, knowing we’ve only got a matter of days to make our goals count is uniquely motivating.

But as I emphasized earlier, don’t go too intense this month. If there’s anything to prioritize here, I’d say it’s quality time spent with the awesome people in your life. Then, see what you can fit in around that without stretching yourself too thin this holiday season.

Pick out your favorite December goals from this list and end the year with intention, joy, and a boost of accomplishment!