7 Things to Do This Week

As much as I love Christmas, I also love the week after. It’s a great transition week to reflect on the past year and prepare for the “new” one. Here are seven things you can do to prepare physically, mentally, and spiritually for the upcoming year!

1. Visit a bookstore (or library or online bookstore)

One thing I like to do is visit a bookstore over New Year’s weekend. I love to browse the shelves, see what’s new, take notes. This research puts me in the right frame of mind for identifying what I want to focus on, work towards, and change in the New Year. In fact, I already picked up two books at the library which I will crack next week. One is on how to unclutter your life (sounds good, doesn’t it??) and the other is how to use Outlook to increase productivity (another fantasy of mine!).

2. Choose a theme scripture.

Another thing I like to do during this week is choose theme scriptures for my year. Often these come from reading I’ve been doing, a sermon or podcast. I spend time praying about this, and considering what area of my life needs “shoring” up; then choose appropriate scriptures that speak to those areas.

3. Clean out your Inbox.

I learned how to do this from Michael Hyatt, in an article called, “Yes, You Can Stay on Top of Email”. Also, Getting Things Done by David Allen offers great tips on how to manage the information that crosses your desk, both digitally and physically.

4. Buy a journal.

I am a firm believer in journaling. Even if you don’t write daily (or even weekly), having a place to jot down thoughts or prayers throughout the year can really bring focus to your spiritual and personal growth.

5. Update your calendar or planner.

Reflect on what worked or didn’t work from last year; then spend some time researching new strategies or products that can help you be more productive. Buy new pages or inserts. Visiting Franklin Covey is one of my favorite shopping trips over New Year’s weekend.

6. Refresh your podcast subscriptions.

If you haven’t done this in a while, go in and look at who or what you have listened to in the past year. It’s ok to unsubscribe from those you no longer use. Choose a couple of new ones to try on topics of interest.

7. Write “Thank You” notes

It’s good form to send thank you notes for those Christmas gifts and niceties that came in last week. Take a moment to send a quick handwritten note that acknowledges the gift and shares your appreciation.

What other tasks do you tackle during this week?

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