Make December a Powerful Finish to the Year

Finish Strong and Set Yourself Up for Success in 2024

It feels like just yesterday, we were setting our goals for the year, and now it's time to wrap up and reflect on the past 12 months.

I don’t know about you guys, but 2023 was one of the wildest, most enjoyable, stressful, productive, destructive, and most appreciated years of my life…

(And it still isn’t over)

With these ten ways to make December a powerful ending to 2023, you should have no issue entering 2024 with your shoulders back and eyes forward.

1. Reflect and evaluate your goals for the year:

The first step to making a strong finish to the year is to take a moment to reflect on the goals you set back in January.

Did you achieve them, or did you fall short?

What worked and what didn't?

Take some time to evaluate your progress and analyze the reasons behind your successes and failures. This will give you valuable insights and lessons for the new year. There’s a reason you didn’t:

1. Make the money

2. Start the business

3. Gain or lose weight

And that reason is not a secret; you did or did not do what was needed to be done. Put controls in place to correct the deficiency, because if you want something, then it’s time to get that something and stop talking about it.

Photo by Kajetan Sumila on Unsplash

2. Set SMART goals for December:

Now that you have evaluated your progress, it's time to set some new, specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals for the final month of the year. Set realistic and achievable goals that align with your overall objectives.

This will help you stay focused and motivated throughout the month.

If you break your goals down to the SMART method, you’ll realize specific is clear, measurable is accountable, achievable is motivating, relevant, keeps the “Why” fresh, and Time-Bound allows you to monitor the distance to the finish line.

3. Break down your goals into smaller tasks:

Once you have set your goals, break them down into smaller, actionable tasks.

This will not only make them more manageable but also give you a clear roadmap to follow. Set yourself a daily or weekly to-do list and commit to completing those tasks, no matter how big or small.

Set the goal, then set at least three steps you’re going to take under each to make it happen.

EXAMPLE

GOAL: Lose 10 lbs

• Action #1 - Buy a workout program, or book a trainer.

• Action #2 - Invest in a gym membership

• Action #3 - Start tracking every meal

4. Use the 80/20 rule:

The 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto Principle, states that 80% of our results come from 20% of our efforts.

So, focus on the 20% of tasks that will bring you the most significant results.

Keep asking yourself, "What is the one thing I can do today that will make everything else easier or unnecessary?" This will help you prioritize and make the most of your time.