The countdown is on: just ten days left in the year!  For many of us, that still includes about a week left in the office working.  Take advantage of this time to prepare yourself for the New Year.  Rather than leave your office and your work a huge mess, racing to complete deadlines and get to the holidays, use this time to get organized.  Here are 15 tasks you can do this last week of December to help you return next year ready to hit the ground running!

1. Go through the pile(s) of papers you’ve been meaning to sort.
2. Set up a system to help your business go more paperless—we offer paper management and filing systems services for business.
3. Deep clean your desk or workspace—here are some tips to organize your desk.
4. Empty your email inbox—here’s one of our webinars to help clear your inbox.
5. Set your “out of office” for the day and work on 2013 strategic planning without interruption.
6. Write and send thank you notes to networking contacts, clients or strategic partners.
7. Attend a webinar to add to your skill set—here is a list of our upcoming webinars.
8. Update your LinkedIn profile.  Write recommendations for people or endorse their skills.
9. Go back and read industry newsletters or blogs you’ve been meaning to catch up on.
10. Go through the pens at your desk and toss the ones that have dried up.
11. Pre-write content for your blog or newsletter so you don’t have to do it later.
12. If you use a paper calendar/planner, set aside time to purchase your 2013 calendar and get it organized.
13. Read a book you’ve been meaning to read—here are some of our book recommendations!
14. Identify 3 repeatable tasks you can delegate to someone else and write the necessary instructions.  That’s three items off your list in the New Year!
15. Write down your individual goals for 2013 and set an appointment with yourself each month to track your progress.

Good luck during this last week of the year, and may you have a relaxing break for the holidays!