Thanksgiving is already here – cue the freakout. Where did this year go?! What did I do? What can I possibly accomplish before the New Year? Each year goes by faster and faster and I wonder how old I’ll be when I finally stop saying that. I’m going on four years strong now, officially at the point in my life where I’m done wasting time and energy on people and activities I don’t enjoy. Bye bye loser boyfriends! Peace out mediocre jobs. See ya later annoying obligations. Eeek!
This mindset has been working out really well! I’m finding myself more in control of my time and exceedingly more honest with myself and others in relationships. So, what can we get done with what’s left of this year? It turns out a lot. Here’s a quick list of 50 Things To Accomplish Before The New Year – and if we treated time so fleetingly during every other moon and month just imagine the sh!t we could do. Lots more books could be read, beer could be tasted, errr, I mean closets organized and meals prepared?!
- Wake up earlier. Go to sleep earlier.
- Craft a new bedtime or morning routine. Make it more enjoyable all around.
- Drink more water.
- Try to cook with what you have and completely clear out your fridge and pantry.
- Get a massage.
- Watch a favorite movie. Cuddle up on the couch without your phone.
- Try a new workout or commit to a certain number of workouts each week, it’s only a month!
- Start taking walks – without your phone.
- Practice meditation or yoga.
- Clean out your closet.
- Organize your desk.
- Clean out your email, organize your digital folders, and clear off any junk from your hard drives.
- Update your resume, portfolio, or website.
- Stash or actively organize all your receipts in the same place to make tax season easier.
- Create a doable monthly meal plan for January.
- Finish a home-improvement project.
- Hang up a birdfeeder.
- Complete one craft of DIY project.
- Eliminate one unhealthy habit for the rest of the year. (Stop drinking soda or alcohol. Quit smoking. Stop snacking on sugar before bed. etc.)
- Finish a book you started this year.
- Unplug for 24 hours straight. No phone, computer, tv, etc.
- Make your own alcohol.
- Bake a holiday treat.
- Get a pair of shoes re-soled.
- Schedule a physical with your doctor.
- Schedule a cleaning with your dentist.
- Get an oil change.
- Restock your first aid kit and other emergency prep.
- Visit a museum.
- Eat at a restaurant you’ve been meaning to try.
- Hang out with a ‘long lost’ friend.
- Go for an epic day hike.
- Ask a coworker out to lunch.
- Buy and drink a bottle of wine with someone.
- Apologize and mend a relationship that has been weighing on you.
- Unfollow everyone on social media that makes you feel less than good.
- Call your mom.
- Host or arrange a family style dinner for your closest friends.
- Think clearly about your holiday traditions and if they work for you.
- Plan a weekend trip for next year or put a deposit down on a retreat. Maybe a birthday celebration?
- Put all your loose change into your savings. Don’t have savings? Start one.
- Commit to being as frugal as possible for one week or one pay cycle.
- Realize what how much you spend (and on what) each month and make a budget for 2019.
- Take a moment to quantify your successes from the past year. What was your high?
- Think about your perceived failures from this year. Define them and think of ways to improve.
- Acknowledge when you felt truly in the flow and content this past year, make a list of the activities or reasons you felt this way.
- Make a list of short-term goals
- Volunteer.
- Donate goods or money to charity. Remember it’s tax deductible.
- Whatever the fuck you want!