December Challenge Ideas for Adults (2026): 40 Ideas That Survive the Holidays

A December challenge is one habit you keep every day from December 1 to 31. It’s a good month for it, and a hard one: the year is ending, so a finished challenge feels like a clean close, but the calendar fills up with parties, travel and late nights. The challenges that make it to the 31st are small, have a “minimum version” for the busy days, and come with a reward you’ve already picked.

Below: the December 2026 calendar, how to set a challenge up so it survives the holidays, and 40 ideas.

December 2026 at a glance

Tuesday, December 1: day 1.
December 4–12: Hanukkah (from sundown on Friday the 4th).
Week 3 (Dec 14–20): work parties and end-of-year deadlines. Plan your minimum version now.
Thursday, December 24 – Friday, December 25: Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Thursday, December 31: day 31, New Year’s Eve. Finish before the party.

If you start on Tuesday the 1st, days 24 and 25 land on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so those are the two days to plan for in advance.

How to set up a December challenge that lasts

Pick one habit. One challenge done all month beats three dropped by the 10th.
Write a minimum version. The full version for normal days (“30-minute workout”), and the smallest thing that still counts for party and travel days (“10 squats in the hotel room”). A minimum day is a kept day.
Pick the rewards now. Something small at day 10, something better at day 20 and a real treat on day 31. Rewards you chose in advance keep the challenge from turning into willpower alone. Need ideas? 70 ways to reward yourself.
Track it where you’ll see it. A printed calendar on the fridge or an app on your home screen. Tick it off the same day.
Never miss twice. If you miss a day, the challenge isn’t over. Do the minimum the next day and keep going.

40 December challenge ideas for adults

Fitness and workout

10,000 steps a day
A 20-minute walk every day, even on Christmas
31 days of push-ups: start at 5, add one a day
A plank every day, 30 seconds to 2 minutes
10 minutes of stretching or yoga before bed
A run streak: at least a mile a day. A popular version is Runner’s World’s holiday run streak, from Thanksgiving (November 26 in 2026) to New Year’s Day
One workout class a week, plus a walk on the other days
Take the stairs every time

Health 9. 8 glasses of water before any holiday drinks 10. No sweets on weekdays, enjoy them on weekends 11. No alcohol Monday to Thursday 12. In bed by 11 on work nights 13. Fruit or vegetables with every meal 14. Take your vitamins or medication on time 15. Daylight in the first hour after you wake up 16. No caffeine after 2 p.m.

Mind 17. One line of gratitude every night 18. 10 minutes of meditation 19. Read 10 pages a day (December is a good month to finish the year’s last book) 20. No phone for the first 30 minutes of the day 21. A five-minute journal: one win, one worry, one plan 22. Learn one word a day in a new language 23. One page of a sketchbook a day 24. Write down one memory from the year each day, for a year-in-review on the 31st

Money 25. No-spend days on everything outside your gift list (no-spend tracker) 26. Write down every purchase 27. Packed lunch on workdays 28. Save a fixed amount every day you don’t buy coffee out 29. Wait 24 hours before any online purchase that isn’t a planned gift 30. Cancel one subscription a week

Home 31. Declutter one thing a day (31 things by New Year’s Eve) 32. A 15-minute tidy before bed 33. Dishes done before you sleep 34. Cook one new recipe a week, cook at home on the other nights

Kindness and people 35. One kind thing a day: a message, a coffee, a compliment 36. Call or text one person you haven’t talked to this year 37. Write one card or thank-you note a day 38. Donate one item a day to a box, drop it off on the 31st 39. Put your phone away at every shared meal 40. For couples: one small thing for each other every day, from a list you write together

Free December printables

Printable habit tracker for December 2026: a monthly grid with a goal and a reward for each habit.
30-day challenge tracker: a printable streak calendar with rewards on days 7, 14, 21 and 30, plus 42 more challenge ideas.
Self-care advent calendar: December 1–24 (or 25), one small treat behind each day you keep your habits.

Keep it in your pocket: Habit Rewards

Our app, Habit Rewards, turns a December challenge into a points game: add the challenge as a daily habit, check it off each day to earn coins, and spend the coins on rewards you write and price yourself, like the day-10, day-20 and day-31 rewards above. The app keeps your streak, reminds you at the time you pick, and puts the habit on your home screen with a widget. It’s free for three habits and three rewards on iPhone and Android.

A 30-day streak challenge in Habit Rewards

When December is done, the next one starts the next day: realistic New Year’s resolutions and the Dry January tracker.

FAQ

What is a December challenge? One habit you do every day from December 1 to 31, such as a daily walk, a workout, no sweets on weekdays or a gratitude line each night. It’s 31 days, which ends the year on a finished streak.

What’s a good December challenge for adults? Something small you can still do on Christmas Day: 10,000 steps, a 20-minute walk, 10 pages of reading, a 15-minute tidy or no alcohol on weeknights. Pick one and give it a minimum version for busy days.

What’s a good December workout challenge? A push-up or plank challenge that grows a little each day, 10,000 steps, or a run streak of at least a mile a day. All three need no gym and work while travelling.

How do I keep a challenge going over Christmas? Plan Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in advance: decide the minimum version (a 10-minute walk after lunch, five pages before bed) and do it early in the day, before plans take over.

What if I miss a day in December? Do the minimum version the next day and keep going. A month with 29 of 31 days kept is a good month; what breaks challenges is missing two days in a row.

Is there a printable December habit tracker? Yes: open the printable habit tracker for December 2026, add your habit, goal and reward, and print it.

✅ Try Habit Rewards: the habit tracker that pays you

Every habit pays coins by how hard it is (1, 4, 8 or 16). Write your own reward list, put a coin price on each treat, and claim it once you've earned it.