There are only a few days until the year ends. Have you reviewed your end-of-year tasks? You have probably already considered what you want to achieve next year. Thinking about it is great, but starting to plan for it is even better. December is a time for celebrating my accomplishments and learning from my failures. It is also a time to figure out what I want to do next year in my business, on my blogs, and in my personal life. It is a great time to take a breather and decide what to do in the coming year. The benefits for me to do this now are:
- It allows me to look at the bigger picture.
- It guides me in deciding what goals would be reasonable and natural next steps.
- I like doing this because it does not pressure me when the new year starts.
To help you prepare your goals for next year, below are tasks you can do before the year ends to help determine your next steps in January.
Do these tasks today for a better-focused new year.
Jump to:
- Review your current year's goals to decide next year's goals.
- Review all your investments and tax-related paperwork to ensure they are for this year's tax return.
- Review your current year's budget.
- Donate to your favorite charities.
- Places To Donate Jewelry You Do Not Want
- 15 Charitable Locations With a Cause
- How to Get Rid of Household Electronics
- Talk with your spouse/partner about their goals for next year.
- Quotes about Planning!
Review your current year's goals to decide next year's goals.
First, look at the earlier 11 months. Check off the completed goals. Decide what goal or task you want to accomplish this year and what you choose to let go of. This part always takes some time. It is understandable if it takes several days to do this. After all, you are planning a goal for an entire year; it will take a little while to figure out what that goal would be.
Review all your investments and tax-related paperwork to ensure they are for this year's tax return.
Organize all your receipts, bills, sold investment papers, and any other necessary paperwork. Create an accordion folder (affiliate link) to organize these papers. Visit our post for instructions: HOW LONG TO KEEP TAX RETURN SUPPORTING PAPERWORK? Then, schedule time to meet with your bookkeeper, accountant, and/or financial adviser at the beginning of the year. It is a busy time for them, so scheduling it now will give you a more convenient appointment.
If you are a small business owner, you may want to visit your invoices and see what was paid and what wasn't, as well as ensure your money management software has correct categories for tax deductions.
Review your current year's budget.
Find the areas where you are over budget or under budget to see what expenses can change to be more in line with your budget goals. Check your electric bill, cable, and other monthly bills to see what can be adjusted, reduced, and closed. To help you keep your bills together, here is a What to Keep in Your Bill Paying Station checklist (affiliate link). Using software to review your budget is so much easier. If you don't use software to help you organize, I recommend Quicken
or Simplifi (affiliate) to manage these accounts. This application will also help you manage your investments, and you can see where you started and where you are now with your net worth.
Check and review the categories that you may have created. Are these categories a deduction for you? You may want to mark them if they are so they appear in your accountant's tax report.
Donate to your favorite charities.
One of your goals this year may have been to declutter your home, give stuff to the less fortunate, or donate a cash contribution more often during the year. If these were on your goal list, here are some reminders for you to do before the end of the year.
For Cash Donations: List your favorite charities and give cash. Make those contributions now before the end of the year. When you schedule your donation, consider making an automatic monthly contribution and add it to your calendar as a reminder. Here are some of the most popular charities for cash donations: American Red Cross, WHYY, United Way, Feeding America
For Property Donations: Bag up all the items you want to donate and bring to your favorite donation place. Here is a list of donation locations I share with all my clients, Charitable Donation Locations. Below are some more charity posts.
Places To Donate Jewelry You Do Not Want
Recently, I spoke with someone about her mother's buying and hoarding costume jewelry. She was concerned that she would not be able to get rid of almost new costume jewelry. As she discussed the issue, she became increasingly frustrated with the possibility that she would have to trash all those jewelry pieces. "What a waste
15 Charitable Locations With a Cause
Over the years, as I worked with clients, I found that people with a charity that offered a cause close to their hearts were more likely to get rid of their gently used belongings. Whatever the reason, they were happier when they gave to a charity they support than selling the item. In this post,
How to Get Rid of Household Electronics
There are lots of electronic devices we use in our homes. From TVs to cables, these items can pile up over time. Today we are discussing ways to get rid of these household electronics and give you some inspiration on where to donate them. I hope this helps you get rid of your unused ones.
Talk with your spouse/partner about their goals for next year.
Being on the same page with your loved one is key (affiliate link) to a successful year of goal achievement. Start by writing goals down. Here are some topics to talk about:
- How much do you want to save?
- Where do we want to go on vacation next year? How much can we save for that trip each month?
- What do we need to get done in the house next year? When do we want to do it?
- Do we need a new car next year? Where will the down payment come from?
- Do we want to change investment companies?
- What do we want to invest in next year?
- Are we deducting enough for our retirement?
- Should we adjust how much we should put in the kinds 529 plan?
Having a list of things to discuss keeps you on track and puts aside the emotions about money that may come up. Stay focused on the task at hand when talking about money. Decisions should not be made while emotional. It just muddies the waters.
Quotes about Planning!
Reviewing these tasks before the end of the year will set your vision of what the new year will bring. I want to end with this quote (affiliate link): Plans are nothing; planning is everything. ~ Dwight D. Eisenhower - this says so much.
I believe planning and executing are necessary to reach any goal in life. - Sabrina Quairoli
Here are some additional quotes:
"It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
"Let our advance worrying become advance thinking and planning." - Winston S. Churchill
"Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines practiced every day." - Jim Rohn
"To accomplish great things, we must not only act but also dream; not only plan but also believe." - Anatole France
“Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes; but no plans.” – Peter F. Drucker
Please share this post with your family and friends to help them reach their next year goals. I hope you set your goals and execute them.
To continue the conversation, please leave a comment below and answer this question: What do you do at the end of the year to help you plan for the next year? I would love to hear from you.
Visit our other posts that focus on goals for more support!
Julie Bestry says
It's so easy for life to just happen TO you if you aren't proactive about considering your goals. I love these tips for clearing the decks and creating focus before 2020!
Nancy Haworth says
These are all wonderful tips! At the end of every year, I take time to reflect on my accomplishments and make a list of goals for the upcoming year. I also try to get all of my tax-related paperwork together, so that I can file taxes as early as possible.
Janet Schiesl says
I reviewed my 2018 activities before making my 2019 goals. This exercise was very helpful. It led to clarity with what I was doing and helped to set realistic goals for the next year.