Me: A grown adult who fully understands how a calendar works.
Also me: HOW THE HECK IS IT OCTOBER ALREADY?!
You know what they say – time flies when you’re having fun and working on 800 media initiatives while attending conferences all over the country and delivering results for countless clients. Well, we may have added on that last bit, but our work hard-play hard mentality at Fish means that every year, we hit Q4 in the blink of an eye. Switching gears from grinding all year to planning for the year ahead can be disorienting, but having a successful 2020 starts now as we head into the last few months of 2019. Considering January feels like it was five minutes ago, it’s safe to say that December break will be here before we know it – so it’s important to ask yourself: what can I do now, to ensure that I will thrive then? Keep on reading for some of my best-kept secrets on preparing myself for another epic year.
- Make a list of the fifteen best things you did this year. This is no time to be humble. A year is a long time, and we often have short-term memory when it comes to our own achievements. However, it’s important to give yourself credit where credit is due and recognize your accomplishments over the past 365 days. Use this list to give you a confidence boost heading into the new year, as well as to set personal goals on how you can take your success to the next level.
- Make a list of five things you wish you’d done this year, but didn’t. Recognizing failures is just as important as recognizing successes. However, instead of looking at it as missed opportunities, approach this list as a guide to opportunities you can pursue in the next 365 days. Identify why you didn’t make it happen this year so you can make it happen in the next.
- Get a head start on your New Year’s Resolutions. If you know you want to be healthier in 2020, trying to change your lifestyle starting January 1st when you’re hungover from New Years and 10 lbs heavier from the holidays is a pretty discouraging way to start. Start making your changes now so that you kick off the new year already motivated and on your way to making a true lifestyle change.
- Clear out your space. The end of the year is a wonderful time to get rid of all the physical clutter in your life. It’s amazing how much stuff most of us have that we don’t need or use. Once the books and clothes had been given away and the junk had been thrown out, I definitely felt mentally and emotionally lighter.
- Make a list of everything you’re still afraid of going into the New Year. Set the list on fire. If there’s anything you don’t want to bring into the New Year with you, it’s uncertainty and fear. You may have a few apprehensions going forward. You may have some doubts. But you also have the power to realize that none of that has to stop you. As you draw this year to a close, let your fears for the coming year go up in flames. You won’t let them dictate your future. And your future doesn’t start with the New Year. It starts now.
For more tips on ending the year as strong as you started it, check out this Thought Catalog article.
