Although some days it feels like 2026 has just begun, the reality is that we have entered the last quarter of this year. Knowing that less than 12 weeks remain before a new year begins can make us hyper-focus on the wellness goals we set 10 months ago, particularly those on which little to no progress has been made in a while.
But healthy living is never about perfection. Rather than dwelling on the areas in which you have perhaps fallen short, it is much more beneficial from a holistic health perspective to start drafting a win list of what you have accomplished from January to the present day. If you need some inspiration on what to include, use these suggestions as a starting point:
- Extra movement time. Even squeezing in a second or third short walk of the day or doing 5 to 10 minutes of stretching in the morning can have a positive impact on your mood and energy levels.
- New hobbies. Consider starting a volunteer gig, attending a crafting class (in person or online) or organizing a weekly meetup to play chess, euchre or other multiplayer games.
- Holistic self-care. Have your emotional and mental health received as much attention as your physical wellness goals? Seeing a therapist, journaling and meditating are examples of actions that can help minimize stress and mood swings.
- Less screen time. Decrease the amount of time spent watching TV, surfing the internet or scrolling through social media.
- Better sleep. If you feel consistently fatigued, consider an earlier bedtime or upgrading your bedding to improve sleep quality.
- Meal planning. Drafting weekly menus is definitely worth trying if you are still working on reaching a target weight. Also be sure to stay adequately hydrated each day! It’s not uncommon to misinterpret thirst as hunger.
- Member mojo. Get the most out of your membership by regularly showing up for chapter meetings; reading TOPS News and monthly blogs; or resharing content from the main TOPS Facebook or YouTube channel.
An additional side note: I think brainstorming win lists could be an engaging activity for chapter members to complete together during a future meeting between now and the end of December. Encourage each other to finish the year on a positive note by celebrating what we have accomplished as individuals and a community. And let’s kick off by sharing in the comments below what we’re feeling optimistic about this month so far!
Personally, I am falling in love with fall all over again thanks to the beauty of the leaves changing all around me. Remember: October can be outstanding when fully rooted in the present!
~Rachel
as a TOPS member for several years, my weight yo-yos. having a problem with this. sometimes I lose the focus of what I need to do. and do what I want to do. I could use more articles on how to keep on a weight LOSS journey.
Also one more thought; we are living in an inflationary time of our lives. Fixed income, higher prices on groceries, and especially as a rural community, we depend on cars to get to Dr. visits, stores and just visiting friends. I do not understand how the membership fees had to go up so much?? I can see office expenses, paper and printing costs. But I dont expect new members to join with such high fees. we are an older group in Houlton and because of health reasons, snow and ice, we are now down to 6 members. And getting older. We lost two steady KOPS this year. such a sad situation. we will miss these ladies immensely. Thank you for letting me vent.
Hi Pamela,
I think this year has been hard for many people (in more ways than one and for reasons like you mentioned). I want to encourage you to keep working on having the healthy lifestyle you desire day-by-day. Small changes often result in big results. Here are 3 previous blog posts from earlier this year which you may find helpful:
https://blogs.tops.org/wellness-wednesday/are-you-at-a-plateau/ & https://blogs.tops.org/wellness-wednesday/how-to-stay-active-as-we-age/ & https://blogs.tops.org/wellness-wednesday/which-foods-support-weight-management/ too.
Thank you, Rachel! There are some really good suggestions here! One question…. does reduced screen time mean less time reading Rachel and being on Grouper (which I love!)?? Just joking! I know that I should cut back on screen time but I am alone since my husband died last year and I must admit an addiction to those darned facebook reels and my favorite sites. I’m going to try to do better though. I know I need to move more! Now I’m going to read Delicious October Eats and THEN I’m going to get off my computer for at least a few hours.
You’re welcome, Wanda.
Very appreciative of the feedback you shared in your comment. I would also like to encourage you to remember that it always about “progress, not perfection” in terms of creating new habits. Decreasing your average amount of screen time by even only 10 minutes/day can be more helpful than you might think long-term. So do what you can on the days you can, and like this blog is encouraging folks to do,”celebrate your wins!”
I love the “Win List” suggestion. Thanks so much!
The first on my list is totally free of cost: make TOPS a 24/7 experience filled with fellow encouragers.
I like your idea A LOT too, Barb!