If you’re anything like me, you’ve spent the last couple of weeks trying to finish things. As the end of the year approaches, there’s always a flurry of action, as if loose ends will cause major problems if they’re not tied up before Christmas. For me, it’s about being able to take time off with a clear conscience. Last year, because of a few loose ends that I didn’t tie up, I had to work through most of the Christmas holidays. I promised myself then that it would be the last time, so this year I’ve been trying to get organized. Here’s what I’ve done.

1. Tidy Up The Business

First of all, I have completed most of my outstanding work and delivered it to clients. At the time of writing, I have two articles left to write, and I will have finished those by the time you read this post.

I have got some posts ready for the places where I blog, and am currently preparing a few for my own blog,which I will future post over the next couple of days. I still have some jobs left to manage which members of my writing team are handling, but there are only a few of those at the moment.

2. Show Me The Money

Second, I have invoiced for all work delivered to date. I’ll follow this up with a final round of pre Christmas invoices at the end of the week. Christmas will be merrier if I know that the money I have earned is heading for my bank account.

3. What Do You Need?

Third, I have emailed all my clients to check what they will need over the Christmas period and have made sure that those jobs are allocated. In some cases, the work has been done in advance so that team members can also enjoy a break.

4. Taking Care Of Next Year

Fourth, I have started bidding for work for the new year. I want to hit the ground running in January, and I already have a few jobs in hand for the first couple of weeks of the year. I am no longer booking in work for December, though if an existing client has an emergency I’ll find a way to fit it in.

5. Season’s Greetings

Fifth, I have sent out a Christmas greeting to the people I have worked with in the last year. For those whom I work with regularly, it’s a way of thanking them for our excellent working relationship (and friendship, in some cases). For the others, it’s also a way of reminding them that I exist.

6. Clean Up The Computer

Sixth, I have begun to tidy up my files. All of this year’s writing work will go into 2007 folders for each client. I’ve also been looking at my work spreadsheet for this year and seeing how I can improve it. There are a few columns I’ve hardly used that I’ve deleted - we’ll see how the new version works next year.

I’ve also been taking care of festive preparations with the usual round of gift wrapping, card sending, food shopping and just-in-case buying. Of course, I may have forgotten something, but I feel prepared. How are you getting ready for next year?

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