11 Ways To Finish The Year Like A Boss

December is here.  Rejoice!  You've almost made it past another year.  It's time to let our foot off the accelerator and relax because it's all downhill from here.  It'll be Christmas soon, it's dark and cold, and there's really no time for anything else so why bother pursuing things like self-improvement?  Why fight the financial current?  Everyone knows December is a time to spend on decorations and gifts for the family, and this requires putting aside our money saving habit to not spoil the spirit.

Unfortunately, this is the typical mindset of many Americans once December rolls around.  It seems like the only thing forcing us to stay conscious of our declining personal skills or of our money are major recessions.  See the image below:  

Yes, I realize this is a graph on average planned spending on Christmas gifts since 1985, but there's no denying that as our personal wealth and overall achievement increases, success brought about by economic booms, so does the sense that the party will never end.  And we get sloppy.  December is a month like any other, and we should be actually turning it up another notch to finish the year strong!  You can't take a month off folks.  To this end, I've got several tips to help you finish the year like a true boss.

11 Ways to Finish the Year Like A:




1.  Squeeze in one last goal.  Surely you can write down one last personal goal and get it done in a month.  "By the end of December, I will have ____________________..."  What? Gotten 20 more FB likes on your Business page?  Increased your web traffic by 3%?  Finished the first chapter of your latest book?

2.  Create a December budget to include all things Christmas AND end the month in the green so you can have some cash you can apply immediately to New Year's Eve day.

3.  Do your first Podcast of your niche topic.  Gary Vaynerchuk, the master of attention arbitrage and serial entrepreneur recommends you move your business to sound.  Listening saves consumers time (they can multitask while listening to your voice), and that's huge these days!  So get yourself a podcast set-up and do your first one this month.  Be patient and keep at it!

4.  Purge the toxic people from your life.  Have you had just about enough of all of your negative friends on Facebook?  You know, the type who post: "I'm at the emergency room," and nothing else, leaving people to have to ask what happened.  Or those that constantly complain about the opposite sex.  Or those that simply constantly complain as a means to vent on everyone else's stream.  Get rid of them!  Have an "Unfollow" party.  Your eyes don't need to be exposed to any negativity.

5.  Ramp up your cardio intensity and/or time.  Don't let hibernation mode sink in just because it's winter.  Trick your body this month and get ahead of your New Year's resolution to lose weight.

6.  Buy a course online.  Go to Udemy.com and dust off your rustiness by taking a class.  Or, learn something new.  How to invest in stocks, how to invest in real estate, how to launch a successful blog, etc.  Learn something new before the year is over!

7.  Sell some of your losers.  If you've made money in the stock market this year (and who hasn't, right?), you may want to sell some or all of your shares in your down positions to reduce your short or long-term capital gains tax for 2017.

8.  Buy that midsize SUV.  Usnews.com reported back in March that December is when midsize SUVs are discounted the most due to automaker and dealer sales incentives converging for the quarter and year.  So if you're in desperate need for an SUV, this is your month.

9.  Sell more of your product or service by adding value rather than a sales, end-of-year discount.  Focus on listening more to your customer and trying to empathize with their needs this time of the year.  Offer incentives such as gift cards, movie tickets, or other entertainment offers rather than devaluing your goods or services.

10.  Show your kindness and heart.  Donate to a charity, volunteer at a soup kitchen, or invite a friend or neighbor you know to be alone during the holidays, over for Christmas eve dinner.  There's nothing like the feeling of doing good.

11.  Propose.  Gentlemen, if you got the rock already, what are you waiting for?  Christmas eve or Christmas day are both perfect days to pop the question.  For starters, you'll never forget when you proposed because you'll be primed by it being a big holiday.  I proposed to my wife on New Years day 2010.  I'm horrible at remembering dates, but I remember this one because it was New Year's!  Also, your significant other is already in a great mood so the chances of them saying, Yes, may be better.


There are certainly many more ways to end the year like a true boss.  You got to be creative and figure out what would make you feel like a champion if you just did it.  The main point to this article is not to let the month of December go by because it's the last month of the year and it's loaded with festivities.  Ending the year on a great note sets you up for starting January on a high, so don't waste this opportunity!  And yes, have fun too, especially with your loved ones.  Until next time.  Thanks for reading!