Episode #128 - Set Yourself for Success

Welcome to Organizing with These, where we simplify and organize our lives for the better. I'm Deanna Mall, your host, here to guide you towards a more organized and enriching life. Together, let's explore practical strategies, inspiring stories, and expert advice to simplify every aspect of our lives. Are you ready to embark on this journey with ease? Let's start.

My friend, welcome back to to organizing with ease. I'm your host, Deanna Mull, and we're continuing our October focus simplify, streamline, and succeed series. Over the past 2 weeks, we've covered decluttering your space and streamlining your routines. Today, we're talking about something I think is so important. It's setting yourself up for success as we head into the final months of the year.

Believe me, it's never too early to start planning for the new year. The Q4 is the perfect time to take action. With the holidays fast approaching and year end deadlines looming, getting organized now will help you feel less overwhelmed and more in control. By planning ahead, you will not only finish 2024 on a high note, but you'll also set a solid foundation for the start of 2025 off right. And if this is your first time tuning in, welcome.

I'm so happy you're here, and I hope today's episode leaves you feeling inspired and ready to tackle these next few months with confidence. So why is planning early? Why does it matter, especially in the Q4? Well, let's see. Q 4, as I like to call it, tends to sneak up on us.

Don't it? I think so. One minute, it's back to school season. The next thing you know it's know it's, like, holiday music is playing, and everyone's in a rush to finish year end projects. That's why it's so important to get ahead of the game now.

Because if you wait until November or December to start planning, you'll likely find yourself feeling, what, overwhelmed. So let's talk about why planning is so essential because, one, you get ahead of the rush. The earlier you start, the more time you have to pace yourself. This is especially true for the holidays. If you get your shopping, your meal planning, and your decorating done early, you'll be able to actually enjoy the holiday season instead of feeling like you're just scrambling.

Early planning gives you breathing room and it helps you avoid burnout, which is what we don't want. If you start shopping now, I know, you can take advantage of the sales and avoid the last minute crowd. I like to actually keep, like, an ongoing list, a digital list, where I just jot down gift ideas throughout the year. That way, by the time October rolls around, I already have a good sense of what I need to to buy, and then I can start checking the items off the list early. You can also use an Excel spreadsheet or whatever works for you.

You can actually even write it down in your planner if you like. The secret of getting ahead is getting started by Mark Twain. According to a study by the American Psychology Association, 61% of people report feeling stressed during the holiday season, primarily due to the lack of time and financial pressure. So planning early can significantly reduce this stress. By maximizing your year end productivity, I don't know about you, but if you're like most people, the end of the year at work can get really busy with final projects, budgeting, deadlines all coming due.

Getting organized in October can help you identify what needs to get done so that you can make steady progress without feeling overwhelmed. So here's a tip. You wanna block out time each week for focused work sessions. If you have a big project to finish by December, start by breaking it down into smaller, manageable steps. For instance, set aside an hour on a Monday, maybe Thursdays, to work on specific parts of the project.

This keeps you on track without feeling like you're leaving everything until the last minute, which, again, we've all been there. But hopefully, you're not continuing on this track. Hopefully not. Just remember what Robert Coir said. Success is in the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.

So how can you set yourself up for a fresh start in 2025? Well, let's see. Planning ahead for 2025 might feel like you're jumping the gun. But trust me, getting a head start on the new year now will set you up for success. Early planning allows you to ease into the new year with a clear vision instead of feeling like you're trying to play catch up after the holidays.

And you know what that feeling's like. So what you wanna do is you wanna think yourself later by your setting yourself up early. So if you start thinking about your 2025 goals, create a rough plan for the 1st few months of the year. That that doesn't have to be detailed. Just start outlining any major projects, events, goals you want to prioritize.

You can always fine tune it later. Even consider any house projects as well. Put that on the list. A study from the University of Scranton found that 92% of people fail to keep their New Year's resolutions. Are you one of them?

Starting planning your in your q 4, Q4, can help you create realistic, sustainable goals for the new year. So now let's dive into how the fresh start method can help you not only close out 2024, but also set yourself up for success as we move into the new year. This method gives us a practical framework for identifying priorities, eliminating distractions, and staying organized in a sustainable way. So we're going to find and sort your priorities for q 4. First things first.

You need to figure out what your priorities are for the rest of the year. This step is crucial because without any clear priorities, it's easy to get caught up in the busy work instead of focusing on what really matters. Think about your personal goals for the rest of 2024. Is it fitness goal you've been working on? Do you want to spend more quality time with your family?

Maybe you've been meaning to focus on self care, but haven't had the time. But guess what? Now is your chance to put those personal goals front and center. So one of my personal priorities in q 4 is to carve out more time for me, self care. With the holidays coming up, it's easy.

It's so easy to get caught up in the hustle, but I know that if I can take care of myself first, I'll be better able to handle everything else. You can't pour from an empty cup. Take care of yourself first. So next, you wanna think about your work related goals. What projects need to be completed by the end of the year?

Are there any deadlines you need to prepare for? Make a list of your top three priorities and focus on them 1 by 1. If you're a manager or a part time of a part of a team, part time, Now is a great time to start delegating tasks. Don't try to do everything yourself. Sharing the load will make the end of year rush much more manageable.

Holiday priorities. Finally, let's talk about the holidays. Why don't we? Right? Because that's where we're that's what we're doing.

We are getting ready for this holiday. So what do you need to get done to prepare for the holiday celebrations? Is it gift shopping, meal prep, travel arrangements? Make a list. Your top holiday tasks.

Break them down into smaller steps. I do recommend setting a holiday budget early. Decide how much you want to spend on gifts, decorations, and food, and please try to stick to it. This takes the financial stress out of the equation and makes holiday shopping a lot more enjoyable. So once you've identified your priorities, the next step is to streamline.

Not everything on your to do list is essential, and the key to reducing stress during the final months of the year is learning to let go of what's not necessary. You wanna cut nonessential tasks. Take a look at what your list is. Are there any tasks you can cut out altogether? Maybe you don't need to attend every holiday party.

Perhaps you can simplify your holiday meal this year. So I used to feel like I had to bake 3 different kinds of cookies for the holidays. I had to bake 4 kinds of cakes and pies, and I had to have at least 10 to 12 types of appetizers aside from the main meal. But now I'm sticking to one signature recipe that I know everyone loves, and I'm simplifying trend transitions like it gives me more time to focus on what's really important. And, yes, my family does help on picking what recipes and what to bake and what to cook for the holidays.

The holidays are a great time to get the family involved, which involves the tasks, which I do. And it actually it's a nice feeling, and the girls love it. They look forward to it. So whether you're hosting a holiday gathering, please delegate responsibilities like setting the table, cooking side dishes, or cleaning up. You don't have to do it all, definitely not all on your own.

At work, delegate tasks to team members when possible. If there's a deadline you're struggling to meet, see if you can share the workload. Remember, it's okay to ask for help. So once you identified your priorities and simplified your to do list, the final step is to systemize. Setting up simple systems will make it easier to stay organized as we move through the final months of the year.

One of the best ways to stay on top of things is to create a weekly planning routine. Again, try to spend at least 20 minutes every Sunday evening reviewing your upcoming week. If Sunday evenings don't work out, try maybe a Saturday or a Friday. Look at your calendar, set your top priorities, and make sure your schedule reflects your goals. I like to create what I call a, quote, unquote, focus list each week just with my 3 key tasks that I want to accomplish each day.

It keeps me feeling from being overwhelmed by a long to do list and helps me stay focused on what really matters. And, yes, there are some days where my to do list can go run up to to at least 20 items on a day. But if you use time blocking, which we've mentioned in the past, is one of my favorite productivity tools. It's if you're unfamiliar with time blocking, it involves scheduling specific blocks of time for the task that's on your calendar. For example, you might block out an hour on a Monday morning for holiday shopping, or you might wanna set aside 30 minutes each evening for personal self care.

If you're tackling a big project, break it down into smaller steps. Assign each step a time block. This keeps you from feeling overwhelmed and ensures you make steady progress. Finally, look for ways to automate tasks. I'm all about automation.

If it can alleviate and give you some free time, try it out. Whether it's scheduling bill paying, I love that, Setting up grocery deliveries or using an app to track your holiday gift list. Please use all of it. It's all available to you. Automation can save you a lot of time and mental energy.

Research shows that using automation tools can save up to, you ready, 30% time on repetitive tasks, freeing up more time for high priority activities. So now as we approach the end of the year, it's the perfect time to start thinking ahead of 2025. It might feel like you're getting ahead of yourself, but trust me, the time is going to fly by before you know it. Setting the stage for the next year now will make a big difference. And here's how you can start preparing for 2025 while wrapping up 2024.

Try to reflect on 2024. Take some time to reflect on what worked for you this year and what didn't. Did you accomplish your goals? Were there areas where you struggled? Reflection is such a powerful tool for growth and will help you plan more effectively for the new year.

Start goal setting. Begin just brainstorming your goals for 2025, whether they're personal or professional. Start thinking about what you want to achieve. This doesn't have to be fully laid out as a plan yet, but just to get these ideas flowing. If you have any major events or projects coming up in 2025, start planning for them now.

Whether it's a wedding, a vacation, a big work project, maybe conferences that you want to attend, outlining these events early will help you stay organized and on top of things. So here's this week's challenge. It's all about setting yourself up for success as we move into the final months of the year. Here's what I want you to do. You ready?

Three things. 1, list your top three priorities for q 4. One personal, one professional, and one holiday related. Block out time this week for one major task that will help you close out 2024 successfully. Whether it's holiday shopping, a work project, or personal self care, schedule time for it on your calendar.

Start brainstorming your 2025 goals. Write down a few ideas for the new year, and start thinking about how you want to approach 2025. Remember, it's not about perfection. It's about progress. Taking small, consistent steps now will set you up for a successful finish to 2024 and a very strong start in 2025.

That's it for today's episode. As we head into the final months of the year, it's so important to take a little time now to get organized, simplify, and start planning for the future. By doing this, you'll be able to enjoy the holidays more and start 2025 feeling prepared and focused. Take on this week's challenge and let me know how it goes. Share your progress with me.

Again, join me next week as we continue our October focus, simplify, streamline, and succeed series, where we'll dive into stress free holiday prep and keeping things simple while enjoying the season. Thank you so much for tuning in. Stay organized, stay motivated, and I'll see you next week. If you enjoyed today's episode, don't forget to subscribe to Organizer With Ease podcast on your favorite podcast platform and leave us a review. Your feedback helps us grow and reach more listeners like you who are passionate about living their best lives.

And remember, a new episode comes out every Thursday at 8 AM. So mark your calendar and join us. Until next week, take care, and keep shining bright.