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Why The Holiday Rush Will Sabotage Your New Year – And How To Fix It

Iva Perez is on a mission to help 1,000 women and entrepreneurs achieve higher levels of success, confidence and freedom. She has successfully merged 20 years of corporate experience with her studies on the Science of the Mind into her role as a Licensed Transformational Hypnotherapist and is endorsed by UK’s No. 1 Therapist, Marisa Peer.

 
Executive Contributor Iva Perez

Are you dreaming of a white Christmas? Why rushing through the Holidays sabotages your start into the New Year—and what to do instead.


rush hour

The holidays are a paradox. They’re hailed as the most wonderful time of the year—filled with family, celebration, and nostalgia—but often leave you frazzled, overwhelmed, and out of sync with your goals. You may find yourself living the long-running cliché of a “busy, always-on-the-go, have-a-million-things-to-do, don’t-have-time, where-are-my-keys” woman.


Between holiday events, wrapping up loose ends, and tackling an endless to-do list, the last two months of the year fly by in a blur. By the time January arrives, you’re not starting fresh—you’re still untangling the chaos of the prior year.


But what if this year could be different? What if you could navigate the holiday rush with ease, creating space for clarity and intention into the New Year?


Let’s explore how the secret strategy of alignment can help you beat hustle every time so you can start the year ahead of the game, not behind it.


The holiday rush: Why it derails your fresh start

The whirlwind of the holiday season leaves little room for reflection, let alone intentional goal-setting— which should be goal-feeling if you want your dreams to manifest.



Here’s the problem: when your days are consumed by doing, you lose sight of being. You’re focused on external accomplishments—crossing off tasks, fulfilling obligations, or planning the perfect holiday—at the expense of your internal world.


This is where internal alignment becomes the antidote to holiday chaos.


The myth of external validation

The holidays can amplify the pressure to achieve and please. Whether finding the perfect gift, hosting the perfect dinner, or crafting achievable resolutions, it’s easy to get caught up in the myth that happiness comes from checking things off a list.


But the truth is, external validation—whether applause from others or the satisfaction of completing a task—rarely leads to lasting fulfillment. Without internal alignment, even the most well-intentioned goals can feel hollow.


Alignment begins when you shift your focus inward, connecting to the deeper desires that reflect who you are. It’s not about what you achieve; but how you feel while pursuing it.


Secret strategy of internal alignment

Many of us set goals and resolutions because we believe achieving them will bring us happiness.


Unfortunately, no amount of external action or achievements can compensate for internal misalignment because what we’re after is not the goal or resolution, it is a feeling.


This sets the stage for a paradigm shift: ending the external frenzy and being fiercely intentional in asking yourself what you really want and why.


Here is a quick experiment:


Imagine you could be permanently happy in the now, but you could never achieve your most cherished goal or desire.


Because feeling free, fulfilled, satisfied, happy, joyful, or any other positive emotional state, is not tied to external achievements.


If your answer is you don’t want to be unconditionally happy and fulfilled because you want to be happy and fulfilled with what you want, then societal conditioning might be at work.


Just like we have been conditioned to believe that hard work is the key to success or that our worth is based on our ability to fulfill every expectation placed upon us, it’s time to shatter the notion that we can’t be truly happy or fulfilled if our lives are not exactly as we want them to be.


There is a big difference between making goals and manifesting goals. And the key lies in emotional mastery and internal alignment.


True internal alignment is a gateway to a genuinely fulfilled life because it is the harmony between your mind, emotions, and energetic center. 


It’s a state where:


  • Your thoughts reflect your deepest values and desires.

  • Your feelings are rooted in clarity, joy, and purpose.

  • Your actions align with your long-term vision and authentic self.


When you’re aligned, you operate from a place of ease and flow. You recognize when your actions are driven by fear, comparison, or societal expectations, and you recalibrate to a place of authenticity and coherence. 


You break free from the cycle of feeling overwhelmed and step into your power by using your biology to your advantage.



Energetic coherence: The missing ingredient in goal-setting

Dr. Joe Dispenza describes energetic coherence as the alignment between your brain, heart, and energy centers. When these systems work in harmony, they create a state of flow that feels good and magnetizes opportunities that resonate with your frequency.


Here’s how this process works:


  1. Thoughts as the blueprint: Your thoughts set the foundation of your goals. For example, if you think, “I want to feel peaceful this holiday season,” that thought becomes the seed of your intention.

  2. Emotions as the fuel: The emotional energy attached to that thought—such as gratitude, joy, or excitement—acts as the magnet that draws in aligned opportunities.

  3. Energetic centers as anchors: Your energy centers (or chakras) process and express these emotions. For instance, the throat center helps you voice your intentions, while the heart center keeps you connected to the emotional essence of your goal.


When all three are aligned, you’re not just chasing a goal—you’re embodying the feeling of already having it.


Breaking free of the holiday hustle

The key to navigating the holidays without losing your alignment lies in intentional stillness. 


By creating moments of reflection amidst the rush, you allow yourself to reconnect with what truly matters.


Instead of viewing the holidays as a time to do more, use them as a chance to slow down and ask purposeful questions that will :


  1. “Am I creating space for clarity and growth?”

  2. Are my goals aligned with my highest values?”


Take time each day to forgo the Holiday hustle and embrace inner harmony by reflecting on your priorities, releasing unnecessary pressures, and celebrating the small victories:


If taking this time or answering the above questions feels impossible within the holiday chaos, it’s a sign that your energy needs a reset.


The power of micro-resets

Instead of waiting for January 1 to “start fresh,” implement micro-resets throughout December. 


Use the Holidays as your launchpad, not just for goal-setting, but for goal-feeling. Here are five intentional micro-resets to try during the Holiday season.


1. Shift from hustle to creation

Adopt the mindset: “I get to” instead of “I have to.”


Words have power. Swapping out “I have to finish holiday shopping” with “I get to create meaningful memories” shifts your energy from obligation to opportunity. This simple linguistic tweak anchors you in gratitude and abundance, helping you approach tasks with joy instead of dread.


2. Break the to-do list cycle

Let’s be real: the end of the year often feels like a race to cram in every unfinished task, leading to frustration and burnout. By January, you’re already overloading yourself with massive resolutions doomed to fail because they’re built on the same flawed foundation: doing too much and prioritizing too little.


Here’s where checking your to-do list twice is not something reserved only for Santa.


  • Separate tasks from ideas. Use your to-do list for actionable, time-sensitive tasks and store ideas elsewhere—in a journal, sticky notes, or a digital document.

  • Prioritize ruthlessly. At the start of each day, review your to-do list and ask yourself:

    • Does this lead to a significant outcome?

    • Is it urgent or is it important?

    • Can I delegate or eliminate this?

The less cluttered your list, the more focused and intentional your energy becomes.


3. Harness the power of a brain dump

When you separate tasks from ideas, you can keep your ideas on a separate document where you can also do a weekly brain dump.


A brain dump is simple:


  • Grab a notebook or piece of paper and write down every idea or worry (if you’re a mother) swirling in your mind.

  • Sort through the list. Move actionable items to your to-do list and let go of what’s not the rest.


4. Stop feeling guilty for resting

In a culture that glorifies the hustle.grind.repeat cycle, it’s easy for most women to feel guilty for slowing down. But ignoring your need for rest will backfire—mentally, emotionally, and physically.


Confusion arises from overwhelm because it's meant to slow things down for us and provide a break from what is happening.


However, accepting and understanding this and truly embracing the discomfort of going inwards and noticing what is happening in our bodies will reap double rewards.


Only from a place of deep introspection and silence, can our bodies feel safe enough to access rest and fully recharge.



Rest is not lazy. It’s productive. When you allow yourself to pause and reset, you create space for clarity, creativity, and aligned action.


5. Focus on feelings, not just goals

Most people set resolutions hoping to achieve a feeling—happiness, fulfillment, freedom— mistakenly believing achieving external goals will create those emotions.


Here’s the truth: Feelings come first.


Before setting your New Year goals, ask yourself:


  • Will this goal make me feel expansive and fulfilled?

  • Does it align with my highest values and legacy?

  • How can I enjoy the process of achieving it?


This approach shifts you from hustling for external achievements to manifesting from a place of emotional alignment.


Enter January energized, not exhausted

As a Clinical Hypnotherapist, many women share their frustration of needing to become master meditators to achieve a zen-like state during the Holiday season. The truth? They don’t need to sit in silence for hours on end


That’s where harnessing your subconscious mind comes into play.


This internal alignment must happen at the subconscious level, because the subconscious mind plays a crucial role in shaping our beliefs and behaviors, and for mothers, it can be a powerful tool for transforming outdated and limiting beliefs that may interfere with their ability to prioritize themselves and or achieve their goals with ease and fulfillment.


Updated and powerful new beliefs are the cornerstone in which women can approach the New Year by designing new habits that prioritize goal-feeling instead of goal-setting.


The gift of goal-feeling

The holidays can be a launchpad—not just for setting goals but for cultivating the feeling of what you want to achieve. Goals, after all, aren’t about the thing itself; they’re about the emotions tied to that thing.


For example:

  • The goal of losing weight might be about feeling vibrant and confident.

  • The goal of making more money might be about feeling secure and abundant.

  • The goal of spending more time with family might be about feeling connected and loved.


Focusing on the feeling brings your energy into alignment with your desired outcome. You stop chasing and start embodying.


And the best part? These states can be chosen at any time so women can share their significant contributions to the world.


Even though the notion of time is an emotional experience, busy women would rather favor a rapid proposal to changing core beliefs that leads to fostering a positive emotional state in the present, laying the foundation for a life of freedom, happiness, and fulfillment.


There is a Rapid Transformational tool for creating a pause, resetting subconscious beliefs, and paving the way for an empowered pursuit of intentions, goals, and New Year’s resolutions.


Internal alignment through updated beliefs can help women toward personal growth allowing them to flourish, thrive, and fall in love with their lives.


Mothers and women can truly benefit by addressing and transforming limiting beliefs from a Rapid Transformational approach that acts as a catalyst for change, reprogramming the subconscious mind with a remarkable precision that aligns 95% of their cognitive powerhouse with their goals.


This Rapid Transformational roadmap helps them achieve goals faster, leveraging the power of a fully aligned subconscious mind with powerful updated beliefs that pave the way for an empowered pursuit of intentions, goals, and New Year’s resolutions.


This innovative approach offers mothers a pathway to break free from guilt, shame, and overwhelm, ultimately boosting personal growth and fostering well-being and self-care, while cultivating a positive mindset towards stress.


A mindset that helps mothers believe in their ability to achieve any resolution or goal they desire so they can gather strength, dust off any lingering holiday weariness, and embark on a journey of growth and success in 2025.


Stepping into the New Year with intention

When you prioritize internal alignment over external hustle, you start the New Year with a foundation of clarity and power. Leading with intention instead of reacting to what life throws at you.


This holiday season, give yourself the gift of alignment. Create space to reflect on your values, tune into your energetic centers, and align with the feelings you want to carry into the New Year.


Because when you step into January with clarity and coherence, you go beyond setting goals—becoming the person who achieves them with grace and ease instead.


Make this Holiday season the one where you ditch the holiday rush and claim the power of alignment. Your future self will thank you.


Have a taster of what an RTT Hypnotherapy session is like and Uncover the Biggest Belief Holding You Back in Life – Bypass the guesswork and the online quizzes. Your subconscious mind already knows what is holding you back. This audio helps you uncover core limiting beliefs in minutes using soothing 396 Hz frequency background music. It includes a Re-Patterning Session to lose blockages and negativity. Instructions booklet included.


Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info!

 

Iva Perez, Transformational Hypnotherapist

Iva Perez is on a mission to help 1,000 women and entrepreneurs achieve higher levels of success, confidence and freedom. She has successfully merged 20 years of corporate experience with her studies on the Science of the Mind into her role as a Licensed Transformational Hypnotherapist and is endorsed by UK’s No. 1 Therapist, Marisa Peer. She helps women and entrepreneurs drop the overwhelm and anxiety and, instead, create new subconscious beliefs to facilitate powerful transformations. This way, mothers can successfully navigate the overlap between work and family life. Iva is the co-host of the Top Ranked podcast, Mom Bosses Abroad as well as an avid speed reader and matcha evangelist.

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