By Christi Hegstad | President, MAP Professional Development

For many leaders and business owners, the week or two leading up to the new year is rather quiet: Clients are on vacation, vendors have closed for the holidays, and networking events come to a standstill. You may spend that time visiting with family and friends and engaging in self-care – all excellent ideas. If you need to be in the office as well, here are some purposeful actions you can take to start clearing the path toward an exceptional new year:

1. Tie up loose ends. Make a list of unfinished tasks. Then, starting with quick and easy ones, begin completing them. If possible, set aside a few uninterrupted hours and see how many you can finish at once.

2. Employ the “Stoplight Approach.” As part of your year-end review, reflect on things you want to stop doing, habits you want to start, and positive actions and routines you want to continue.

3. Take a bold action. Tour the dream home. Request the pay increase. Hold the important conversation. Do something that will make you look back and say, “I finally did that!”

4. Clarify your top three goals. Brainstorm as many plans, projects and ideas as you’d like, but establish three core goals for the year that will move your work and/or life forward.

5. Line up your professional development. Register for conferences, hire your coach, join inspiring clubs or associations, enroll in a course, and block time for your growth.

6. Clear your desk. Give yourself the gift of visible clarity when you return to the office. If possible, dedicate the last 10 minutes of each day going forward to this practice as well.

7. Envision your future self. Close your eyes and imagine it’s Dec. 31, 2019, and you have just had the best year. What are you celebrating? What contributed to your success? How do you feel? Connect as deeply as you can now to those feelings.

Celebrate the joy of the season – and of checking things off your list. Then relax into the new year knowing you’ve built the foundation for a clear and purposeful kickoff to 2019.

Dr. Christi Hegstad is an award-winning and certified coach, author, and speaker helping people dream big, achieve bold goals, and make a positive, purposeful difference. She also facilitates the ASPIRE Success Club, a professional women’s group now enrolling for its ninth year.