Finish Well

The end of 2015 is rapidly approaching.  Are you like me?  I always do a lot of self-reflection at the end of the year.  It’s like a post mortem, a look backward tells me so much about what I did right and what I could have done better or differently.  It helps me make sense of where I am, how I’m feeling, and begin to plan for the following year.  An end of year inventory is an essential part of my mental wellbeing.  But if I’m not careful, I can lose myself in the analysis.  There’s still time to finish well.

What does that mean to you?  Finish well.

Looking Backward helps me move forward.  But I have to finish what’s ahead of me first.

For me, it means taking a quick inventory of the things that I’ve not actually finished.  What goals have I left to accomplish?  Tasks left half or wholly undone?  What can I do with these last few days of 2015 to finish well?

Here’s my top 5 list:

1. Finish the book club books and Bible study I started, but didn’t complete.  I had 3 books and 1 study at mid-December.  I now have 5 chapters left between 2 books. I can finish this task.  What books or projects have you left unfinished?
2. Organize my son’s playroom.  After Christmas, this is a task that MUST be finished!  It’s been on my list and now it’s crunch time.  I’m sorting toys, buying bins for organizing, and getting it done this week.  Do you have spaces you need to unclutter so that you can work better?
3. Invest in a couple of pieces of kitchen equipment that will make things easier, quicker, and more consistent for me to feed my family healthy delicious foods in 2016.  On my list are a digital crock pot, glass storage containers (can you ever have enough of these?), and a vegetable spiralizer (I’ve bucked the trend on this one for too long and am looking forward to giving it a try).  What things have you planned for improving your cooking/eating, but haven’t done yet?
4. Join the gym.  This one is usually a January resolution, right?  Well, I’ve been planning and talking about doing this for months and just haven’t taken the time!  There’s always an excuse, right?  Excuse ends here.  Are there memberships, classes, or skills you should planned to learn and can still capitalize on?
5. Move to a written organizer/calendar.  I know what you’re thinking – who uses those anymore?!  Well, after some missed appointments and totally struggling to keep my work, family, business, social schedules organized, I have realized that I cannot seem to do that using the calendar on my smart phone.  I need to be able to quickly view the week and the month.  I need to have my to-do list, my schedule, and my goals easily accessible and viewable (whatever red line, that IS a real word!) at my fingertips.  Here’s the one I’ve already purchased and have already begun to use – I already LOVE it.  What things can you implement now to be more organized later?

So that’s my list.  I have three days.  Think I can do it?  I can!  What about you?  What does it look like to finish well for you?  I’d love to hear your success measure, so feel free to share in the comments below!