Can you believe that 2016 is just around the corner? It’s wild, isn’t it? With this past year flying by at a pace I can barely keep up with, I want to be sure that as we head into the New Year, I’ve done a bit of planning ahead. Whether it’s being totally sure we’re getting enough family and vacation time in, making sure staying fit and healthy is a priority, or planning ahead financially, prepping for a New Year is essential. Keep reading to learn 10 things that should be part of your New Year’s planning.
10 Things That Should be Part of Your New Year’s Planning
- Make vacation time a scheduled part of the year. It seems counter-intuitive to be so rigid about your vacation, but if you don’t make it part of the plan – it won’t happen. Vacation is essential for getting enough family time in and stepping away from the stress of work to take a deep breath and simply enjoy life. Vacations don’t have to be extravagant – you don’t even need to leave home – but they have to happen.
- Meet with a financial advisor or sit down and create your own budget at home. No matter what, mapping out your financial future should happen each and every year. And that means, setting a budget and sticking to it. If you need a little help from a financial advisor, that’s fine too – you’d be amazed at what they can teach you.
- Clean out your closet. Closets get totally overwhelming from time to time and making sure you’re cleaning yours is essential to feeling good and clutter-free. If you haven’t worn an item in the last year – it’s time for it to go. And if you simply don’t love it, it’s OK to part ways. Donate anything you no longer need.
- Make health and fitness a priority. You only have one life to live and you might as well live it right – being healthy is the name of the game. If it’s time to step up your exercise routine, go for it. And, if sticking to a nutrition plan is what you need, find something that works.
- Set goals for the whole family. Sometimes families get stuck in a rut – and everyone needs some goals to work toward. Think in terms of the ways everyone can chip in – even the little ones – with simple chores or other ways they can help out.
- Set annual career goals. This is something to assess every year – as things can change so much from year to year. Where do you see yourself this year, what can you achieve and what’s your plan for getting there? Write it all down and come back to it time to time for a self check-in.
- Figure out how to weave in time for yourself. We all get caught up in family life or work life and often forget to make self-care a priority. That means thinking ahead about ways you can set aside time for yourself each and every day.
- Set goals for clearing the clutter in your home. Cleaning out the closet is one thing, but going through and evaluating the general clutter in your home is another. Whether your kitchen cabinets are exploding with Tupperware or your garage has taken on a life of its own – it’s time to get rid of some of the excess clutter.
- Find time to plan for volunteer work. There’s something so rewarding about giving just a bit of your time here and there to an organization you feel good about – so find a way to make time in 2016 for giving back. This could happen in the smallest of ways – but wow – it will make your year feel so good.
- Enjoy it! There’s nothing as wonderful as taking in all the memories of a year gone by. So spend some time with your loved ones simply reflecting on 2015 and what that means for the year ahead.
Have you started planning for the New Year?
