5 Year End Tasks: #1
I absolutely love the week between Christmas and the first business day of the year. I go to work some simply because it is quiet and I can get many detailed things accomplished. However, I do take a good amount of time off because once January hits, it is my busy season. As the main financial person in our farming operation there are many things that must be done.
I do love a good planner and setting goals or resolutions or whatever way you want to go about starting fresh for the new year. So to get it going we will begin with first things first - #1 Review the past year! We must know where we have been to be able to look forward to where we want to go. I use a digital calendar and I usually only put appointments and meetings etc in the calendar. I also keep a 5 year journal that has only a few lines of writing in it each day. Between my calendar and this journal I am able to review the past year.
What am I looking for? I start with two categories: Things that bring me joy and things that bring me stress or unhappiness. I jot down a list under each heading and work my way through the year. Time with family or friends = JOY! Too many appointments in one week = STRESS! I notice that I am not very good at “scheduling” down time and make a note to add this into my list of things I might want to put on the list of things to do in 2025.
We must look for things that support a well rounded life. There are few topics that many who advise on living a full life mention. Exercise and health; spiritual life; work; home and family; community and service; friends and hobbies; love and relationships. Take some time to review these areas of your life. Are you neglecting one or more? Is it something you want to work on more or make more time in your days to do or accomplish.
I find that this exercise brings to light some things that maybe I had never thought about. We all have different seasons of our lives. A demanding career or raising small children can take a toll on other parts of our lives. Sometimes that is just where we want to be and sometimes we realize it just isn’t working. Analyze your 2024 and make some notes about what you find and how or why you might change or stay exactly the same in 2025.
Check back tomorrow for #2!