2022 Is Almost Over! Let’s Finish Strong!

Somehow it is already halfway through November! Am I the only one who feels like time speeds up as the holiday season approaches? The weather is getting chillier, and the calendar is filling up with festive events, but I don’t want to get so wrapped up in holiday fun that I forget to finish the year strong.  

On that note, time for a little note-to-self (and you) pep talk. I have three tips to help you (and myself!) as the end of the year rushes at us. 

Wrap up open projects.  

If we want to finish 2022 strong, we need to focus on finishing. Think about those things that have been lingering on your to-do list for months. Wouldn’t it feel great to have them marked off as we head into 2023? Our family would love to complete a few in-progress home remodeling projects before the ball drops. Our hall bath remodel is one I’d like to go ahead and wrap up in the next few weeks. Make sure you have a finish line and write it down! There’s something magical about having a goal date you are working towards. Our project planner notepad is the perfect spot to track your progress, and is super helpful in motivating you to get stuff done! 

Don’t start new things. 

In the same vein as wrapping up open projects, it’s just as important to not start new ones. I have more ideas than time, but mid-November is not the best time to start new things. In fact, you could argue that it’s a recipe for the opposite of finishing strong! If we put our focus on finishing, not on kicking off new projects, we’ll build momentum for a strong finish. If you are worried you’ll forget a great idea if you don’t act on it right now, grab your planner or brain dump notepad and start a list of projects you’d like to tackle in 2023. You can dedicate more time and energy to your ideas if you don’t have a plate full of lingering unfinished projects.  

Watch your deadlines!  

Deadlines are deadlines for a reason (even though I’m terrible at them). Deadlines do the work of keeping you on track. I always joke that I love deadlines–I love to see them woosh by!–but the truth is, I need them!

Look through your unfinished tasks and projects list, and add some (reasonable) deadlines. And if you’re like me, the smaller and more minor the deadline, the easier it will be to meet it. The more of these small deadlines you meet, the more dopamine you’ll release to your brain, and the more momentum you’ll build to finish your year strong!

Think about how you’d like to spend your time this holiday season. Are you looking forward to baking cookies and having movie marathons with your kids while they are out of school? Then make all your deadlines before their last day (pro tip: make it a day or two before their last day—that way, you have a little leeway in case anything unexpected comes up, and if you get everything done in time, you can enjoy a day to yourself during the holiday rush)! 

What’s on your list of finish strong projects that you are hoping to wrap up before the end of the year? Let me know in the comments!