Things to Do Today To Make 2014 BEST YEAR EVER

We always hope the year ahead is better than the one we leave behind.  Sometimes it works out . . . sometimes it doesn't.  Here are some ways I am prepping to make 2014 THE BEST YEAR EVER.  What suggestions do you have?

CLEAN OUT THAT INBOX and give yourself some room to breathe with email.  The average office worker spends 28% or more of their workday reading, replying or writing email.  In my world, it's more like 60%. This is the perfect time to de-clutter your in-boxes.  Go through and unsubscribe to promotional emails that you never read or constantly delete.  Some email providers will even give you the option to receive fewer emails -- which might be perfect for you!  After you unsubscribe, take your inbox and break it into folders so you can save all the important mailings but they are not cluttering the space you actually work with.  Think of it like cleaning off your desk.  The old emails are pieces of paper on the desk and they need to be filed so you can have a clean work environment.

DO SOMETHING GOOD for someone else today.  Consider making a donation today.  It will make you feel good about yourself -- and as an added bonus -- can help you out on your taxes.  Make the last thing you do this year . . . and the first thing you do next year impact someone positively.  That will set the stage for a great year.

DEDICATE TIME TO self-reflection.  I'm not a fan of 'resolutions.'  That is probably because I've never kept one ever.  But, I started a few years ago with some self-reflection.  Here's how I do it -- and it has helped me be more positive which helps me do the things I would have put in a resolution list:  start by making a list of the things you wish you had done better this year (job, family, personal).  Take the list and put a positive statement at the end of each one.  Then take those positive statements and on your work calendar or your phone . . . set a re-occurring calendar event to review them at least once a month.  That simple act of remind yourself of who you want to be can be very, very powerful.

THINK OF FEELINGS OVER STRATEGY when it comes to your emotional self.  You want to feel happy, sure.  But what does that mean to you?  Happiness to me is:  financial stability, thankful family, watching Downton Abbey and kisses from my husband.  We all want to be happy -- but identifying and increasing the things that make us happy will get you there pretty fast.

These are just three things I'm doing this week to make sure 2014 is the BEST YEAR EVER.   What's on your list?