In case you just met me, I'm a little bit of a planner. I've been called "Type-A", "particular" and yes, even "anal retentive". Truth be told, I probably have a decent amount of un-diagnosed OCD tendencies. But I'm okay with that - planning is my super power.
If planning and setting-up systems isn't YOUR super-power, I've got five easy ways that you can set yourself up for a great year ahead!
1. Pull out your calendar or planner and put in everything you know RIGHT NOW. If you know something is happening in February, but you don't know the date yet, write it in the little blank squares in the beginning or end of the month. For every other appointment or event you already know about it, write it in. Need to get your car serviced three months from now? Add a note in the blank square.
2. Make a list, yes a physical list, of all the thing you need or want to do. Get this clutter out of your head! I don't know about you, but I have all these ideas and thoughts rattling around up there, and I need to do a brain dump every few weeks to clear out space. Once you write them down, you can edit them as you see fit, but the first step is to get them out of your head.
3. Clean up that inbox. Yes, do it - don't be afraid. Delete and unsubscribe are your best friends! Is there a newsletter or weekly email that you NEVER open? Unsubscribe! You can always go back and re-subscribe - the unsubscribe doesn't have to be forever. "Deleting old emails??" you gasp. Yes. Do it. Unless it's a receipt for taxes (and you should have that printed or backed up already) and it's more than a year old and not related to a current project - LET IT GO. I have started deleting ALL my sent and deleted mail that is more than a month old, on the first day of every month. I have NEVER missed something I deleted.
4. Balance your money and check your subscriptions. No matter what your bank balance looks like, take a few moments to balance and check all your accounts. While you're at it, make a list of all the services and things you subscribe to, what the subscription amount is and when it will renew. Now see if you still want/need those things. I took two biggies off my list for last year and added a new one.
5. Try something new. I know, this one is a bit odd, but to move ahead and to grow, we need to inspire ourselves. So go ahead, plan to try something new this year. Download a new podcast, check out a HipHop exercise class or take a cupcake decorating lesson. Whatever it is, try something new to fire up those creative juices. Get some ideas and plan for it NOW. Don't wait or put it off.
So those are the five things I spend a little time after Christmas and the first few weeks into the new year doing. Little things can make a big impact on your over-all business and life. Whether you run your own business, your family or just yourself, taking an hour or so to set-yourself for success will go a long way to actually getting there this year.
What's your best organization tip for getting the new year off on the right foot? Share it in the comments!
catch you soon -
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