Before you pick up a pen can you do the entire neighbourhood a favour? Get your jack-o-lantern off the front stoop and into the compost bin. Forgot about it, didn’t you? It’s ok, it happens. In fact, November is a month where it’s easy to forget a lot of things. It’s ironic, because it’s the month we recognize Remembrance Day. Giving silent thanks to our fallen soldiers comes with the recognition that we’re free to make choices, to live the way we’d like, and to raise our families how we see fit.

Our freedom is something we often take for granted.

Wait, actually, it’s more accurate to say that our freedom is something we forget.

We occasionally forget to pay our bills (I have one on my desk that’s been staring me in the face for a week), we forget to pack our lunch, and we forget to make healthy food choices. We all have a lot going on, from family to work to everything in between. This Remembrance Day, remind yourself of the choices you’ve been empowered to make because of the sacrifices of our nation’s soldiers.

One of our favourite pastimes is making decisions with the turn of another calendar year. New Year’s creeps up on us all, so I’m here to remind you that the time to publish your New Year’s resolutions is now, not January 1st. Why?

Mid November represents a lull in the year for many people. School is humming along for your children and work usually slows down (hopefully). On January 1st? Just the opposite. The only real resolution people make after New Year’s is to lay off the alcohol and food, since that’s all we’ve been focused on for two weeks at that point. Consider the year you’ve had and the choices you’ve made. Maybe your resolutions will still involve weight loss, but now’s the time when you can be a little more realistic about your goals.

Get a Head Start on Your Goals

If you write down your New Year’s resolutions now, you might even surprise yourself by getting to them well before the snow starts to fly. Particularly if your resolutions involve your finances. We all know the holidays are expensive. If you jot down a couple resolutions based on your previous holiday spending habits before the spree hits, maybe you’ll keep those habits in check this year.

Here are a couple New Year’s resolutions to adopt before the new year actually rolls around.

1. Hit the gym twice a week before the holiday food-binge begins
2. Lay off the alcohol for the next two months
3. No self shopping at Christmas time
4. Get your credit card as close to the black as possible by the end of November
5. Get your shopping done early & avoid the crowds (this is the best idea I’ve ever had)

We talk about money all day every day, and while New Year’s resolutions often involve our finances or improving some small portion of ourselves, the problem with the whole idea is that we wait to make those positive changes.

But how about today? Don’t we deserve some positive energy before the stressful holiday season begins?

Heck yes we do. And don’t forget it.