2021 Is Almost Over – Here’s How to Finish the Year Strong

As we head into the 4^th quarter of 2021, take a moment to think about your year so far. Are you on track to accomplish your goals or have you fallen behind in certain areas?

With only three months left in the year, it can be easy to coast into the new year. If you put your life on autopilot, you will lose momentum. Instead, it is a good idea to keep pressing forward even if it means taking baby steps.

The good news is there is still time for you to make significant strides in your fitness, finance and career goals. Here’s what you can do to finish the year strong.

Prioritize your responsibilities.

Whether you’re trying to advance your career or personal life, do not confuse ‘busyness’ with making progress. That’s why it’s important to prioritize your tasks in the order of importance.

It may take a few hours for you to prioritize your responsibilities. However, it is worth the effort. Prioritizing your responsibilities will keep you from spending too much time on low-priority tasks.

Here are some tips to help you get started.

Make a list of your current work and personal responsibilities along with their deadlines.
Categorize each responsibility by importance. Examples of category titles: Urgent/Important, Important/Not Urgent, Urgent/Unimportant and Neither Urgent/Unimportant.
Highlight the Urgent/Important responsibilities and put them at the top of your list.
As you tackle your list, review it periodically to monitor your progress.

Get help.

While it’s admirable to complete tasks by yourself, it may not be the best use of your time. After all, each of us has a limited amount of time each day. If you’re overwhelmed by your responsibilities, why not ask for help?

Benefits of asking for help include:

Make faster progress.
Develop a growth mindset.
Build interdependent relationships with others.
Reduce stress and frustration.
Save time and money.

Say no to activities that do not align with your goals.

When you are on a mission to reach your goals, you can’t say yes to everything. Agreeing to do too many things that don’t align with your vision can take you off course and lead to resentment.

If you’re a recovering people pleaser, rejecting offers can make you feel uncomfortable. Here are a few tips to help you decline an offer with ease.

Clearly state that you are declining the request. Resist the urge to make weak excuses or beat around the bush. Just say ‘no’ – with a smile, of course.
Set boundaries in your business and personal relationships.
Be clear about your priorities before responding to an offer.

You have to be tactical when declining an offer from a supervisor. Suppose your boss asks you to lead another project. You can respond with the following phrase. “I am happy to lead this project. However, I will need two weeks, rather than one, to do an excellent job. How should I prioritize this additional responsibility?”

Set deadlines to reach your goals.

Without deadlines, it is easy to procrastinate and take minimal action toward your goals. Setting reasonable deadlines creates a sense of urgency. They nudge you to take actions toward your goals each day.

Timelines can hold you accountable even when you feel like slacking off. They serve as metrics by which you can gauge your progress and activity level.

Completing a task before the deadline can boost your self-confidence and create excitement. Once you get used to achieving your goals within a specific time frame, there will be no stopping you.

Remove clutter and other things that are holding you back.

Regardless of your title at your organization, there may be things that are holding you back. This could be physical clutter, emotional baggage, excessive debt or relationship problems.

If you want to have the energy to go after your goals with gusto, you must remove all types of clutter in your life. Other things that could be holding you back include:

Indecisiveness
Friends and Family
Lack of Discipline
Time Spent on Social Media and Watching Television
Excessive Eating or Alcohol Consumption
Fear of Failure, Rejection, Success or Embarrassment
Lack of Perspective

Celebrate your achievements.

There are plenty of good things that may have happened this year. Did you get a job promotion, have a baby or buy a house recently? Celebrate these achievements.

Are you healthy, happy and satisfied with your career? Be sure to acknowledge your accomplishments – big or small. That way, you’ll have something to smile about as you pursue your year-end goals.

About Corporate Counsel Women of Color (CCWC)

Are you a woman of color who is looking for strategies to take your career to the next level? Corporate Counsel Women of Color (CCWC) is a not-for-profit organization that promotes global diversity and the careers of more than 4,500 women of color attorneys. Learn more about becoming a member of CCWC.

Already a member? Upgrade your membership to Premier status. Benefits include discounts on executive education programs, CCWC conference discounts, free CLE and more. Explore the CCWC Premier Membership today.

The following resources can help you set and achieve career and personal goals.

Building a Million-Dollar Book of Business: Principals and Behaviors for a Successful Law Practice by Daniel Lynch
Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Old Ones by James Clear
GRIT Planner for Productivity – Personal Organizer 2021 by Gritty Stuff