Lists, Resolutions and the New Year

In the buying frenzy of the holidays, it's easy to overdo it. They made January as a type of penance for that. When the bills roll in (regular bills - I hope you didn't go into debt for Christmas), the cupboard begins to look bare as Christmas leftovers of all kinds are finished off or put away, and thoughts turn to taxes, a little gulp of dismay is allowable.

So get back on track. Take paper and pencil, past bills, and a good afternoon and see just where you are, financially speaking. If you don't know where you are, you can't know where you're going.

Make lists; lists of what you want to accomplish this year, lists of what you need; lists of what you want to get rid of; lists of income, outgo and lists of things that need to be done. Lay it all out there, without thinking about what's the most important or what you think should be done first.

Whew.

Now the fun begins. Prioritize everything. Make as many lists as you need and number each item in order of importance. Then, on a separate piece of paper, write down the number one priority from each list. What does that look like? Impossible? It may be. If so, go back and try again until you have a real, workable picture of the year ahead.

Then list the things that may not be of most importance in the wider scheme, but that might hold a special appeal to you. Compare these two lists and see if you can make them work together.

That's your working blueprint for the year, but one that you can always adjust by adding or deleting things as they occur to you. Keep your lists where you'll see them often. Having your goals on paper is a good reminder that you have long term goals which the present can serve.