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If the build-up and preparation for Christmas Day in your family feels like a military operation, you’re not alone. Sending cards, buying gifts, wrapping, decorating, cooking and on and on take a ton of coordination and teamwork.

So, congrats. You made it through that ordeal.

Now what?

Actually, there are seven military habits you should adopt for the day after Christmas (or really, any day) that will get you and your family back on track.

1. Make your bed.
Of course, you already know this one, but when the house is already a mess with presents and wrapping paper all over the place – not to mention glassware and dishes still in the sink — making your bed gives you a toehold on clean-up and sets the tone for the day.

As Admiral William H. McRaven famously explained “If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another.

By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter.”

2. Have a strong body for a strong mind.
After a full day of excess, the last thing you need is another one. Make sure you take the time to breathe, ideally in fresh air. Creating a strong body forces you to do three things: learn patience, create endurance, and stick to goals.

Do not succumb to the pleasures of Fort Couch.

3. Set and execute your battle rhythm.
Come up with a plan for the day, and execute it. Make a list of everything you need to do, and then give each item a priority number. Execute according to that plan, and remember, you can’t have 5 different number ones. Do not allow “mission creep” to interfere with your priorities.

4. Never let perfection be the enemy of good enough.
Give yourself attainable goals. If you don’t have time to give the carpet a deep clean, just clear up the obvious crap. You may have gifts that need to be exchanged or returned. Start by putting them in one pile out of the way. Gather all the necessary receipts and tags, and then put it all in a bag or box in your car, ready to be returned.

5. Keep your calm.
Freaking out is going to be helpful for exactly nothing. All that good cheer you worked so hard to generate the day before will be for naught if you have a meltdown the day after. Keep your cool and focus on your mission.

6. Drop what you’re doing to help others.
Camaraderie is important in the military, and it’s no less important with family when the sh*t hits the fan. If you’ve given everyone a task, and they need your help, give it. It is the way.

7. Counsel in private, but praise in public.
This has always been a hallmark of the military, and it’s a good way to conduct family and personal affairs. Did somebody mess up their chore? Pull them aside to gently explain what went wrong and how it can be different in the future. Never rag on someone’s shortcomings in public. However, if they do something awesome, give praise in front of everyone.

However, frazzled you may be feeling, keep your eye on the ultimate goal: you have New Year’s Eve in just a few days when going crazy is perfectly acceptable.