10 Steps To Prepare For The End Of The Year

This is one of my favorite times of year, not just because of Christmas. I also love the excitement of starting a new year that everyone feels. Something about a fresh start, and all the planning that comes with that, excites me. 

I may be a little too extreme in my planning, but I believe there are a few things we should do at the end of each year. By doing these things you will get rid of all of the physical and mental clutter from this year, start the new year focused and ready to take on whatever comes your way. 

10 Steps To Prepare For The End Of The Year

Clear Out And Organize Your Computer

  Depending on how often you do this throughout the year, this may or may not take you a few days to complete. I’m not just talking about computer files here. You’ll also want to clean out your drive, dropbox, or whatever cloud storage you have. A good rule of thumb for this area is to separate your files into three categories:documents you need to keep handy, documents you want to always have but don’t need, and documents you don’t need at all.

• Documents to keep handy: these can be projects you are currently working on, documents you reference a lot, etc.. Keep them on the cloud, but see if they can be better organized while you are there.
• Documents you want to keep but don’t need: This category is where you’ll put your memorable projects, important documents, etc. Put these on a flash drive or external hard drive. That way they aren’t taking up space on your computer or cloud, but you still have access to them.
• Documents you don’t need: If the files are never going to be opened again and are not needed, it’s time to get rid of them. 

By doing this not only will you free up storage space, you’ll be able to get to things you need easier in the future. While you are at your computer, don’t forget to clear out all your inboxes too.

Declutter Your Phone

That app you downloaded but ended up not needing, or the selfies you took until you got the right one, they don’t need to keep taking up space on your phone. This is my system for decluttering my phone.

1. Take a look at the apps, photos, and files on your phone to see if any of them can be deleted. 
2. Transfer any files and photos you don’t need or want on your phone to your computer to then be transferred to an external hard drive. 
3. Then I like to customize my home screen but this is totally a personal choice.

Do A Social Media Review and Purge

There is just one more task we need to do on our phones, but since it is so big it deserves it’s own spot on the list. That is your social media apps. What you want to focus on is who you are friends with/followers and what you have shared this year. If you have posts on your profile that you wish you didn’t have, think of an ex, or a tagged photo you’d rather not be tagged in, it’s time to get rid of them. Untag yourself or delete the photos/posts. 

Next let’s look at your friends and followers/following lists. Unfriend, unfollow, or block if you have to, anyone that is toxic or not good for your mental health. We don’t want to carry that negative energy into 2022. Think about your feed. What kind of content would you rather see? Encouraging, positive, and fun content, or content that makes you feel less than and depressed? Make your decisions on who to unfollow based on that.

You can do this process any way you want. I like to focus on one app at a time, but going through all your posts at one time and friends/followers lists another time is another way it can be done.

Declutter Your Room

Now that we have done the digital declutter This would also be your house too if your living situation includes that. This is like another version of Spring cleaning, just in the winter. You’ll want to go through your clothes, books, whatever you have in your room, and figure out what to keep and what to donate or throw away. Then get what remains organized to your liking. 

Reflect On The Year

The next few steps are inward-focused. We’ve decluttered what we can in the world around us, now let’s focus on our mind. The first thing I want you to do is grab a journal and reflect on all you went through this year.

• What did you accomplish?
• What did you not accomplish?
• What lessons did you learn? 
• What memories did you make?
• What memories did you wish you made?

Those are just a few questions you can use to guide your journal time.

Choose A Focus For Next Year

Now that we’ve gotten out all of the past, it’s time to focus on the future. I like to start this by sticking to a word, but you can also use your New Year’s Resolutions for this. 

Pick A Good Planner

If you are like me, a good planner makes all the difference. My favorite company for planners is The Happy Planner. This will be my second year with a Happy Planner. I like that there are a ton of designs and layouts to choose from. 

The key to picking a good planner is first determining what you are using it for. Is it for classes, your side hustle, family scheduling, your fitness journey, etc.? You also want to take into account how you plan. Do you plan by a to-do list, by time blocking, or maybe something completely different Figure out those two things, then pick out your planner.

Create A Vision Board

This isn’t a necessary step, but it sure is fun! Vision boards are a great way to get you to dream without holding back. What are some experiences you want to have, places you want to see, and achievements you want to make? Putting them on a board, physical or digital, helps you start to believe it is possible. Check out this post for more info on how to create a vision board.

Write Out Your Game Plan For The First Three Months For Your Goals

In order to have the most possible chance at success with your goals in the new year, you have to make a plan. You want to do it for at least a month, but if you can plan out the steps to your goal for the first three months that’s even better. This post shows my monthly planning process.

Celebrate That You Made It Through Another Year

2021 has been a blur. It has definitely made me a stronger person, but I’m so glad it’s almost over. I’m excited to see what I can achieve next year. As Taylor Swift says, I’m Feeling 22