Each year between Christmas and the New Year, I give my clients an assignment to do to set them to thinking about the decisions they have made this past year and the decisions they are about to make in the coming year.
This year’s assignment was entitled: “Reject, Repeat, New, Or Renew?” I learned a version of this from a mentor of mine in the early 80’s and it has been a habit that has stuck with me and served me well. I hope you will find it valuable too!
While you are laying there on the couch watching all of those “Bowl” games, take out your calendar and look at what you gave you most precious resource too this year. What’s your most precious resource you may ask? It is your “TIME”! Then ask yourself a series of questions.
- Did this use of my time bring in value to my business, or my life in some manner to justify repeating it again next year? If your answer is Yes, then it is a “Repeat”. If your answer is No, then it is a “Reject”.
- Once you have gone through your entire calendar, day by day and you have made a list of those “Repeats” and “Rejects”, it is a good idea to look at this New Year and see what “New” things are beckoning you to come to them. We all have conventions, learning opportunities, vacations etc. which we can put through the same set of questions.
- If you have a spouse or partner, it is a great idea to sit down with both of your calendars and sync them. If you have children, it is also mandatory that you put in all those “known” holidays, start dates, and other dates that are known at this time, and calendar your vacations NOW! Most Americans do not take the vacation time they have earned, and we need it!
- Another great thing to do while you are lying there is to clear out all those folders, old emails, and such on your many devices before the New Year begins. I also encourage you to manage those subscription you let rollover again and again. These dollars add up. If you aren’t using these or reading or watching, do not “Renew” them and pocket the money. The same is true for the paper ones which come into your home.
- While you are boxing the decorations and cleaning the house for the New Year, press on and put all your tax information in a box and set it aside for 2013 NOW and it will be ready to go in March when you need to get your hands on it to prepare your taxes for April. Do you need to do some end of the year preparations for medical bills, now is the time to do those too!
You know we are always complaining that we do not have enough time to do some of these things and at the end of the calendar year, we actually get some down time to do them. The truth is most of us are so hyped up and used to going at such a fast paced speed, we do not know how to slow down and just “BE”, so once you feel like you just can’t sit still any longer; do these FIVE things above and start your New Year off with a clean clear calendar with the things which will move your ahead in your professional and personal life.
For a more detailed list of this activity, please contact me!
janice@janicebastanicoaching.com
