• Have you been wasting time, on good days as well as bad? I’ll confess first. Yes, I spend too much time responding to e-mail. Some of that e-mail is being sent to me by friends who aren’t as busy as they would like to be just now. Or, maybe they were taking a break and couldn’t resist sending an election joke. I’m learning to hit “delete” because those jokes won’t get my articles written.

• Are you using a planner that works for you? The 2009 planners are in the stores now. Compare the features they offer. Consider some of the digital alternatives. Transfer all the contact information on sticky notes in your 2008 book into your computer or a new planner. Enter those upcoming 2009 medical appointments now so you don’t forget them.

• Set priorities every day and allocate time for getting them done. As you finish one, move on to the next. Catch up with the things you have been putting off because you were too busy before. Now may be a good time to dip into your “idea” file.

• Weed out the clutter in your computer and paper files. As the year dwindles down, you can recognize what needs to be archived, what may have been misfiled, what can be tossed out. Consider scanning some paper files into your computer so you don’t have to invest in another filing cabinet. Less is more when you can find the documents you really need.

• Clean out your workspace, whether it’s a room, a desk, a car, or a tote bag. Redo some of your templates for basic documents, improving them on the basis of your experience. Remove all the yellowed paper from your bulletin board to give yourself a fresh start. These changes lift your spirits, don’t cost anything, yet make you feel that you’re ready for whatever may come along.

About the Author: Helen Kornblum, MA