The calendar year is coming to a close in less than 4 short months (September is almost done!), and with that, so is the final quarter of 2017 for our businesses. I don’t know about you, but with the launch of Jeunesse in India, my final quarter for 2017 is adventurous and packed FULL of travel. In other words, crazy busy.  Despite that, I really believe that a last-minute wrapping job on an otherwise fantastic gift of year can ruin your outlook on your achievements and leave you scrambling to get it all done before the holidays.

That’s not how I want to feel, and that’s not how I want anyone else to feel either!

I’ve found that 4 simple, yet powerful steps help me walk through my last quarter in a positive state of mind, full of gratitude for what’s happened, and excitement for what’s next. Forget empty new year’s resolutions – let’s get a concrete hold on our future successes.

Create An Accomplishments List. This is something that spills over from the professional realm and into the personal. You probably already know that I love the physical act of writing down my wins from the year in all areas of life.

This is something that you can include the entire family in too! Everyone can add to the “Wins List”. Keep it on the refrigerator for the remainder of the year, and add to it as you think of additional awesome things you and your loved ones were able to conquer together.

It keeps spirits so HIGH throughout the year-end bustle.

Organize Your Physical Environment. This doesn’t have to be a chore. This can be a joy. Especially when I consider all the hours that I spend in my workspace. A clean, inspiring, and functional home office is a gift that just keeps on giving. When I’m able to work un-interrupted with water and snacks nearby, it changes everything!  Maybe organizing your space includes a fresh coat of paint on the walls? Investing in that standing desk? The possibilities are endless.

Set Up New Systems & Replace Outdated Organizational Tactics. There are lots of things in our lives that sit around, neglected and under-utilized. But it really doesn’t take much to clear the deck, and create systems that work for you, not against you.

Is your bookkeeping software still working for you?

Do you have an inbox that makes you slightly nauseous?

How long has it been since you had a look at your finances?

Do you still have a filing cabinet (physically or virtually) full of who-knows-what?

These tasks probably fall under the “swallowing a frog” category, but if you block off time to accomplish them before beginning the new year, the mental and emotional burden is lifted, and your self-confidence will be too.

Define Your Forward Momentum. Defining your unique vision is the key to all accomplishment, in my opinion. And by define – I don’t mean loosely color in – I want you to set SMART goals for 2018, and spend the time to chunk those goals down and divvy them up over the next 4 quarters of the year. Doing this early, (and then reviewing quarterly) is the absolute best way I know of to keep my productivity soaring, and to avoid busy-work.

This is also where you can ask and answer some FUN and CRUCIAL questions. Things like…Is it time to uplevel? Can I afford to hire some help come the new year? Am I at the point in my business where a virtual assistant makes sense? What new money goal do I want to set for myself? If you’re clear that these things are apart of your vision for 2018, you can wrap up your last quarter proactively.

This grab bag of practical end-of-year tips ensures that I have the help/systems/headspace needed to lead myself, my team, and my family into the new year happily, and highly motivated. I hope it does the same for you!