Change Catalyst with Shanna Mann: Strategy & Support for Sane Self-Employment

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The Last of the Kickstart Guides

Hello, Monday.

Yeah. I work from home, so the concept of “first Monday of the New Year” doesn’t have a whole lot of meaning for me. But sometimes I like to pretend like I even know what day it is.

Now, wrapping up the last of the annoying “Do this to kickstart your 2011” posts, I am reprinting my personal ‘get this done before it becomes a big hairy deal‘ list.

Don’t read it as an imperative. Just scan it, because I know half of you are still recovering from your holidays, and see if there’s anything that looks doable and worthwhile.

  1. Start the year with a clean house. (If you knew me, you’d laugh. Clean is relative. But put the decorations away, clean out the frig, and basically start fresh.)
  2. Empty the yearly records into a fresh legal box. Get it done as soon as possible so you don’t have to sort the 2011 records out at tax time.
  3. Reboot your filing system. I can think of at least three ways I can streamline my filing cabinet, and I’m going to start a GTD tickler file.
  4. Take a load to Value Village (That’s GoodWill, for you Americans.) When I’m cleaning, I often ask myself, Wouldn’t I rather just give this away than clean it again? Make laziness your friend. I also clear out the clothes I know I didn’t wear in the last year.
  5. Make a list of things that would make your life easier. Then, obtain them. I’m not talking about a self-cleaning litterbox, I’m talking about things like getting a blind for my kitchen window so I don’t sear my eyes doing dishes. Cutting up old towels for cleaning rags. Buying spray bottles that actually WORK.
  6. Buy a day planner. Fill it with birthdays and anniversaries.  (Bonus points for scheduling a weekend away every three months.) Not sure if I’m going to do that this year. I transferred most stuff to GCal, but it doesn’t provide a very good big picture view. So I’m going to try it for a couple weeks, and then if I don’t like it, I’m going to buy this schmancy calendar, because it will reduce the number of books in my purse.

Now, shoo. Go find something to read that makes you laugh. May I recommend this?

[ssbp]