As the year winds down and a new year approaches, the need to tie up loose ends, get organized, complete projects, and prepare a clean slate can leave us feeling like we’ve got an overwhelming task list and a frazzling time crunch.
Beginning a new year with the sense that we’re organized and on top of things, however, is worth some extra effort—and the best time to start is before the holidays. One way to get started is to perform an end-of-year brain dump.
Capture Ideas
This simple exercise is a great way to capture and organize your thoughts, gain clarity, and reduce stress. To begin, set aside quiet time for yourself with a pen and paper. Begin by jotting down any unfinished tasks or ideas you’ve been wanting to get to. Do not edit your writing; just capture whatever comes to mind, whether that’s something mundane such as “buy paper towels” or something monumental such as “start that new business.”During this first step, no idea is too big, small, wild, or silly. If it’s in your mind, you want to get it down on paper. Write until you truly can’t think of anything else to write.
Categorize Ideas
Look for common categories within your giant list of dumped ideas. For example, you may find that some of your action items relate to your personal finances. Perhaps you’ve written, “Pay bills,” “Call broker,” and “Prepare taxes.”Using, say, a green pen or highlighter, circle all ideas that relate to your larger category. Call it “finances.” Make a note that all green items fall under that category. Do the same for any other overarching categories you can identify, using a different color for each.
Your other categories might include: fitness, relationships, work, travel, personal care, or home. In the end, you’ll probably find you have between five and 15 categories—a realization that should help to make your list seem much less overwhelming.
Identify Priorities
Looking at your categorized list, consider your highest priorities in life and what you hope to make of the new year ahead. Look through your list and identify any items that you may have been thinking about for a while but no longer actually align with your true priorities. Cross out any and all items you wish to discard from your to-do list.Next, using a unique color, identify those tasks that absolutely must be completed before the year’s end. Finally, using yet another color, identify those things that are your highest priorities for the new year.
Task List
The items that absolutely must be completed before the end of the year now make up your immediate to-do list. Aim to complete them all before the holidays begin. Remember that you can complete tasks by doing them yourself, delegating them, renegotiating them, or eliminating them altogether.
Move all other items to either specific times on your calendar in the new year or to a list titled “Someday,” so that you no longer need to track them in your mind.
