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Three Things Christmas Movies Can Teach Us For The New Year

It’s the time of year that your parents bust out the cheesy Xmas DVDs and force everyone to marathon five hours of Christmas specials.

But aside from spreading festive cheer, these movies can also teach us some valuable lessons for the year to come….

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - It's the end result that matters

Ah, just another Griswold family vacation. In this 80’s comedy, Clark Griswold is set on having the perfect “good ‘ol fashioned family Christmas”.  And if you've seen this movie, you’ll know that it’s anything but! From faulty christmas lights to rabid squirrels, Clark’s plans for the perfect festive season ends up causing more chaos than cheer. 

But that’s where our lesson comes in: even though Clark’s hard-work might not have gone according to plan it doesn’t mean his efforts were a waste of time. At the end of the day, he realises that  - although the lead up wasn’t perfect - he still got his perfect family Christmas. 

So, if you’re planning something for work or school, don’t freak out if chaos begins to reign. Focus on the end result. If you can quote Clark Griswold and say “I did it!”, you’re fine.

It’s A Wonderful Life - Your greatest achievements are right under your nose

In this Christmas classic, George Bailey spends Christmas Eve thinking he’s a failure and wishing that he had never been born. Pretty heartbreaking, right? But after his guardian angel appears, he’s shown what life would have been like if he had never graced the earth. He slowly realises that every generous decision he’s made in his life has affected his friends and family for the better. He’s not a failure after all!

Sometimes, it’s hard to see what we’ve achieved when we encounter a few setbacks. Next time you’re feeling stressed out at school, take a step back and try to look for your successes where you least expect them. 

The Muppet Christmas Carol - Look to the past and present to plan for the future

Alright, you might be thinking “what can muppets teach me now that I’m not six years old?”. But stay with us. Based on the famous story, A Christmas Carol  by Charles Dickens, we get to see Ebenezer Scrooge (Michael Caine) transform from grouch to optimist in one whole night. By reevaluating himself in the past and present, Scrooge avoids the worst for his future to come.

So what’s the lesson? While it’s easy to power ahead into the new year, it’s important to take a look at your past mistakes to make sure you can improve in the future. Whether it’s getting poor marks on that geography test or not getting the work experience you wanted, take that in your stride and make some changes for the year to come.

Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year from the Success at School team!