I have fond memories of opening advent calendars when I was younger, enjoying the little treats and the idea of being one day closer to Christmas. Opening the little cardboard doors always brought an appreciation for the current day and a sense of excitement about being closer to celebrating one of my favorite holidays with my family.

As I was scrolling through TikTok the other day, I saw that a creator I followed, @bad_art_every_day, had posted a few videos talking about a new idea- an avoidance advent calendar. For each day leading up to Christmas or the end of the year, you assign one task you’ve been putting off or don’t want to bring with you into the new year, along with your choice of treats. The idea has taken off, and my feed is now full of others documenting how they’re implementing this idea and making it their own.

The beauty of this is that your calendar can be as simple or as involved as you like. You can use an existing advent calendar if you have one, or keep track of days and tasks on a whiteboard, sticky notes, or a printable template. The reward for accomplishing your task is up to you, whether you splurge on treats or get a 24- pack of your favorite drink. As long as you have a way to keep track of the day, tasks, and a treat on hand, you’re golden.

There’s so much pressure on the start of the new year to be a fresh start. In order to make room on our plates for new habits, routines, and hobbies in the new year, we need to clear some room first. Making your own avoidance advent calendar is a great way to break down the overwhelming into the manageable, and helps make the end of the year and holiday season less chaotic.

Avoidance is all about control. A Psychology Today article, “Understanding Your Avoidance”, describes the relationship between the two. Choosing to avoid something means we are able to exert some measure of control over it. While avoidance can work in the short- term, there are consequences. In the long run, choosing to avoid tasks only causes more anxiety because it doesn’t address the task we’re avoiding or the emotions surrounding it.

One popular avoidance example is anything health- related. For example: my dad never received regular dental care as a child, and continued to put off dental appointments as an adult. Though he had fairly good dental hygiene, he was afraid that going to the dentist would lead to them finding something that would be painful or expensive to fix. Putting off making an appointment, despite not being great for his overall health, made him feel more in control of a situation he was uncomfortable with.

A more personal example: I known my oven is filthy from cooking Thanksgiving dinner. Avoiding that task means that a) I don’t have to think about how dirty I think my whole house is, and b) how badly everything could use a deep clean, which takes time and energy I just don’t have right now.

I designed a calendar in my journal yesterday and wrote down everything I wanted to get done by the end of the year. The trick is picking one small, doable task each day. (That’s why today’s task is deep- cleaning my oven, and not my whole kitchen.) Starting small is the best way to keep on track with your goals and not burning out before you hit mid- month. Tomorrow’s task? Scheduling an appointment with my eye doctor so I can order more contacts (I’ve been out for two months). Paired with chocolates and other treats, my avoidance advent calendar is ready to go!

If you’re brainstorming task ideas, I’ve done some research and put together some of the most common:

• Scheduling a dentist/eye/dermatology/PCP appointment
• Writing thank- you notes
• Getting a haircut
• Meal prep/planning
• Making a savings/debt payment plan
• Reading a physical book, or one that’s been on your TBR for a while
• Car maintenance
• Deep cleaning your fridge/pantry/oven
• Deep cleaning your bathroom
• Taking out the trash/ recycling
• Cleaning out your camera roll
• Uploading photos to free up phone/ laptop storage
• Cleaning out your email inbox
• Going through subscriptions and unsubscribing as needed
• Making a donation run/ going through your closet
• Putting together your holiday wish list/ planning gifts for friends and family
• Making a holiday budget/ budget for the new year
• Decluttering makeup and personal supplies
• Throwing out expired food and personal products

As I work through my tasks this month, I’m hoping to feel more balanced and in control of my tasks and daily life. Completing a month’s work of tasks also makes me feel more optimistic about creating and sticking to a realistic New Year’s Resolution, which is a goal of mine for 2025. If you’re inspired to make your own avoidance advent calendar, I hope this makes you feel more confident in your ability to accomplish something every day.