With 2019 coming to an end, it is incredibly easy to shift mindlessly into the holiday haze. Things start to slow down and procrastination can set in with thoughts of, "I'll do that next year."

However, strong leaders know that that will only lead to stress and frustration in the months ahead, so now is actually the best time to take those steps that will support the start of a wonderful new year.

Here are a few thoughts on how to remain focused and finish this year strong:

Take time to clarify and re-evaluate your year-end goals. Make a to-do list and then prioritize it, delegate where possible, and set aside dedicated time to work on each task. Minimize distractions by clearing clutter, turning off your phone, and avoiding multi-tasking.

Make space to reflect on what has worked well, what remains the areas for improvement and what you might want to do differently in the new year. If you have a team, encourage them to do the same. Allow that reflection to inform you on the areas you will want to focus on in the new year.

Also, remember that rushing to try and complete projects before the end of the year can lead to careless mistakes that will cost you just as much energy to correct as procrastination. So, slow down, pace yourself, and don't forget that there is also merit in taking occasional breaks.

Lastly, I'd like to wish you a very healthy and thriving holiday season, and a happy new year.

Inspiring You To Thrive,

For more thoughts on how to finish the year strong, here is a video from my Leadership Essentials series about Leading Yourself because leadership begins with you:

COACHING QUESTIONS

True or False?

True. According to a Harvard Business study relating to goal-setting and success, the participants who set goals were ten times more successful than those who didn't, and of the goal-setting group, those who wrote their goals down were three times more successful in achieving their goals than their counterparts who didn't.

LEADERSHIP SPOTLIGHT

Lewis Hornby

A common, but little-addressed side-effect for people suffering from dementia is dehydration. It can take an hour or more to get an Alzheimer’s patient to drink just one glass of water as they often find the task frustrating and a nuisance.

When Lewis Hornby saw his own grandmother struggling with dehydration, he invented an alternative. Jelly Drops look like candy, but are 90% water. People with dementia associate the brightly colored balls with treats or candy and happily gobble them up, getting the hydration they require without the resistance!

LEADERSHIP RESOURCE

Online Note-Taking Tool

Evernote is one of the better-known apps for note-taking and organizing information. The best part about it is that it syncs across all your devices. So if you think of your next big campaign idea while you're out with friends, all you have to do is whip out your smartphone, open Evernote, and either jot down your idea, record your idea with its audio recording feature, or even take a picture.

FREE LEADERSHIP QUIZ

How Well Do You Lead?

Leadership is having the desire and ability to develop and grow in your response-agility to people and situations you find yourself in every day. When you are able to do this effectively, your leadership presence expands, you communicate effectively, you listen deeper, and you develop those around you.

Sheeba Varghese is a Professional Certified Coach, speaker, and mentor to many. Her passion is to inspire and equip men and women to lead with excellence and authenticity within the spheres of influences that they are called to impact in life. The spheres may be in a home, on a team, in a classroom, among partners in a firm, or within management, to name a few.

In her time apart from clients, Sheeba enjoys time with her husband, Santosh, and their 2 sons, Sam and Steven. She loves great movies, a good book, decorating and eating at the wonderful restaurants of San Francisco.

LEADERSHIP ESSENTIALS:

Finish 2019 Strong