It’s December 1st! Make this last month of the year count.

Year-end reviews and planning for next year are always a hot topic this time of year, and I encourage you to do that.

In addition to a year-end review and planning for the next year, there is one critical activity I’ve got in the habit of doing every year.   This activty ensures that I hit the ground running in January. It also helps me stay on track during a month typically filled with holiday events, parties, and travel.  I like to refer to it as a “home-stretch” plan.

What does this “home stretch” plan entail?

As the year is coming to a close, a home stretch plan is simply a quick list of things that I would like to accomplish before the end of the year. I consider outstanding projects that I would like to wrap up. Then, I think about things I would like to have in place when I hit the ground running in January.

Before Thanksgiving, I sat down to figure out my “home stretch plan” and came up with the following priorities for the next four weeks.  Some of the things on my plan included:

Make health a priority with healthy eating and exercise, mindful of the many opportunities coming up to indulge.

Helping my daughter tie up some loose ends regarding her post-graduate plans after high school.

Finish a product that I’ve been working on for too long now. It’s time to get it done.

Finally, make headway with or possibly (but realize it might not be realistic) complete my new website.

Keep it Simple

I like to keep it simple. Yes, I have holiday planning and other things to do, but these are the four things that I am focusing on going into the New Year.  I use it as a reference to make sure I make time count during this busy month.

It doesn’t take long to do.  Give some thought to your “home stretch plan” today so you can make these next four weeks count and hit the ground running in January.  Leave yourself plenty of room for rest, relaxation, and holiday cheer, but help yourself get a leg up so you will feel ahead of the game on New Years Day.

Photo by Miguel A. Amutio on Unsplash