Spring has Sprung – what do the final months of 2024 look like for you?
As we roll into the first week of spring, some of us will start thinking about how close we are to the end of the year. I know right! Thinking about the end of the year already? It’s only September I can hear you saying, but we all know that these last couple of months will fly by and all of a sudden you are in the middle of the December rush thinking how did I get here?
September feels like a transition month, after school holidays and a public holiday thrown in, all of a sudden we start to hang out for our Christmas holidays and start thinking about all the things we have to finish before the end of the year. I used to feel overwhelmed by that, which led to throwing in the towel on my goals and neglecting some “me time” and just getting through to the finish line. But over the last few years I have implemented some simple strategies to keep me on track and on target to finish the year strong.
The next few months are not just about meeting deadlines, they are also a period of time where you are able to flex your strategic planning and organistation skills. As the year starts to draw to a close, it’s important to shift your focus from merely managing tasks to creating a well-structured plan that will allow you to navigate this period effectively. Effective strategic planning involves setting clear, achievable goals, prioritizing tasks and anticipating obstacles so you can address them proactively. Additionally, strong organisational skills will be your best ally in ensuring that you stay on top of your responsibilities, both inside and outside of work. This could mean, developing a detailed schedule, breaking down large projects into manageable steps, and keeping track of deadlines with precision. Here are some of my practical tips to help guide you through the next couple of months of craziness to cruise into December stress free!
Perform a brain dump
I like to start with a brain dump with good old fashioned pen and paper. Digital planning is great, but nothing beats pen on paper. It helps me to clear my mind and understand what my next actions have to be. I usually list my “unfinished business” first and then all the things I will have to remember. Then comes the wish list, the items that I would love to get ticked off before the end of the year, but that are wants not needs. This very messy list will be merged with the items I already have planned and will transform from there, giving me a great starting point. By putting these items down on paper, I gain a clearer picture of what I want to work on and free my mind from holding onto them, reducing the chance of forgetting anything and not solely relying on my memory.
Assess and Prioritise Ongoing Projects
After reviewing all your ongoing projects and tasks, identify what needs to be completed by year end and prioritise these tasks based on urgency and importance. Utilising project management tools can be very effective in tracking progress and setting clear deadlines. Personally, I use One Note to help me maintain a clear view of my current workload and the projects I am working on. While it might feel like everything needs to be finished before the year’s end, breaking down tasks month by month can help reduce overwhelm. Additionally, tasks that can’t be completed by the end of the year can be reassigned to the new year, ensuring that you have the capacity to handle any new or urgent issues that arise before the year closes. These postponed items can also service as the beginning of your wish list for the upcoming new year.
Check your goals
At the beginning of the year, you probably wrote down or had some pretty big goals that you wanted to achieve this year, whether that is personally or professionally. For any goals that are still up in the air at this time of the year, I find the best thing to do is to break them down into manageable actions and set micro goals for each week. You can put 1 to 2 in each week. Those can be small steps to help get you closer to a bigger goal. Or they can be little goals that you’ve meant to achieve for a while. The last couple of months of the year is the best time to check on where you are with your achievements and decide what you would like to accomplish before the end of the year.
Create a Self- Care List
Last, but not least, I like to think about my “self care”. No matter what season of the year it is, I have learned that selfcare of very important. And I don’t just mean the fluffy, organizing a facial or massage, but making sure I stick to my routine as best I can to keep me set up for success and not get too far off track. Sticking to my couple of runs a week, and making sure I don’t skip meals because I’m too busy, or not organized enough can make a world of difference when the stress starts to creep in and I start to feel overwhelmed.
This time of the year is my favourite, the days are getting longer and the weather is starting to defrost. I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself, but having some guidelines and pointers is essential to not lose track of the days and weeks. Because soon enough it will be December and we will be wondering where the time went…..
