How should I gear up for next year?

As appeared in the Baltimore Business Journal - December 14, 2007
by Leslie Shreve

Question:
I have time to get caught up and prepare for next year. What should I do first?

Answer:
Get everything out of your way that you don't need, use, want or love. Be mentally clear going into the New Year. Choose your biggest area of frustration first. For some, this is paper. For others, it's e-mail or electronic files. Review your current systems and question everything. What do you have? Why do you have it? Is it stored in a file appropriately named? Can you find it later when you need it?

Look around your office and question everything. Only keep what is useful to you. Now is a great time to set goals for next year and plan the related tasks that will help you reach those goals.

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