Guest post by Cass Mullane, Creative Innovator, Right-Brain Business Plan® Licensed Facilitator, Prosper Creatively, LLC

As the end of 2018 approaches, it’s time to take stock of what needs to be cleared from your life to make room for all the cool stuff that’s coming up in 2019. This is when you look hard at things like:

• Jobs you’re doing that someone else could, and should, be doing
• Making sure you have the right staff and contractors in place
• Stepping away from participation in groups that no longer serve you
• Disconnecting from people that do not enrich your life
• Cleaning up your contact database
• Cleaning up your emails and unsubscribing from everything that no longer serves you
• Checking in with clients (current and past) to keep them engaged through the holidays into the new year
• Clearing your To Do list of all that has been lingering
• Finishing up outstanding projects
• Tidying up your books and your finances so you can go into the new year clean (BONUS: You’ll have all your info ready for taxes by the middle of January – easy peasy!)
• Looking at your current business processes and deciding what is working, what needs tweaking and what needs to be tossed out and revamped
• Eliminating useless podcasts, TV, and blogs that clog up your mind and do not serve your greater good

What you’re doing is clearing the business clutter and making room for your innate creativity and your ability to dream your future into existence. In fact, doing this now will make your holiday season more pleasant as you will be free of the stress brought on by carrying all this clutter around with you.

Don’t believe me? Here’s a little exercise: Do a Vision Board for 2019 RIGHT NOW.

Can you do it? Is your head clear enough to see into 2019 and beyond? Or are you stuck barely being able to see beyond 3:00 p.m. today?

If you are ready to knock out your Vision Board now, congrats! You definitely have your head in a good place. If you find yourself in the latter category, then take heart, you’re not alone. I know I’m certainly not immune to overwhelm. I think it’s safe to say that all small business owners find themselves overwhelmed from time to time. The question is, what are you going to do about it?

Here’s a suggestion: Pick one or two big items on your list and get them done. Once they’re complete, take stock of how you’re feeling physically, mentally and emotionally. I think you’ll discover that you’re feeling stronger and happier in all categories. I think you’ll also discover that a huge weight has been lifted and you’re able to engage more fully in your business and your life.

Now think about how you’re going to feel when you knock out a couple more. It’s pretty safe to say that you’ll continue to feel lighter and more open and available. Clearing your headspace is essential not only to your ability to clearly see what’s possible for you and your business, but also essential to your sense of well-being.

Use the exercise of creating your Vision Board as a barometer to measure how clear your head is and whether or not you can see what’s possible for 2019 and beyond. If you’re all jammed up, then jettison some of that clutter you’re carrying around. Whether it’s people, subscriptions, groups, work others could do or something else now is a perfect time to make a clean sweep. Think about how great it will feel.

Cass’ new #1 International Bestseller, ­The Cool Stuff Jar: Three Simple Ways to Live a Happier Life, is now out on Kindle! Keep tabs on the book launch and all the fun following the launch by visiting www.CoolStuffJar.com and entering your email. You can also follow Cass on Facebook!