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We are surrounded by images of the holiday season that promote, encourage and normalize abundance and excess. No wonder so many of us have become accustomed to the idea that the holidays are a time when it’s okay to overdo it. This one time of the year, we spend too much, eat too much and drink too much. But the holidays don’t have to be about excess. You still can have a great time and enjoy the holiday season without overdoing it.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 10.5 percent of the U.S. population has an impulse control disorder. Impulse control disorders occur when we can’t resist the urge to do something. When people with this disorder have these urges, they can’t stop their behavior, even if there are negative consequences. There are many psychiatric disorders that have these features, including substance abuse, gambling, compulsive shopping, mood disorders, internet addiction and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

In 2011, when the Cardinals were several games behind first, everyone thought it was over but them. But they kept their positive attitude and went on to win the World Series. There are many benefits (aside from winning the World Series) to having a positive attitude at work. 

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, motivation is a force, stimulus or influence, i.e. incentive or drive. Motivation is what causes us to act, whether it is to get a glass of water, do work, read a book, or drive to work every day and do your best. It seems that some people have more motivation than others, and many clients have come to my office asking how to increase their own motivation.