In addition to this being the perfect time of year to reflect on how things have gone over the past 12 months and how things will go in the coming year, it’s also pretty important to get organized. Feel free to steal whatever you want from my Year End Checklist!​

• Pull together all the information you’ll need for taxes – property taxes, medical bills, yearly expenses – to determine whether you’ll file long form or short form. This way, the only thing you’re waiting on is your W2 and you have all your ducks in a row when it arrives.

• Start cleaning out closets and drawers – this is a good time of year to donate unused things. If you haven’t used it in the last year, you probably are not going to. Donate it to someone who needs it more than you do, and get the tax write-off before end of year. Plus, you’re clearing out space in your home!

• Take a look at all the blankets you have accumulated and consider donating those to the homeless to keep them warm during the harsh winter months.

• Start assessing what your goals are for the upcoming year. Do you want to lose weight? Plan trips? What are your financial goals for the year? Maybe you have a goal to reduce some (or all!) of your debt.

• Instead of sending out Christmas cards, my husband Randy and I write a letter together (usually I write it and he proofs it) to send to close friends and family, telling them what we’ve been up to during the year. It’s far more personal than a Christmas card and it’s a time of reflection for us as well to see how blessed we are.

• I have accumulated many recipes over the years and my mom had some of the best. For my friends around town, I make a small batch of cookies (usually different each year) and buy cute little boxes from the Dollar Tree, and send them samples and share a recipe and a story behind it.

Everyone has a different way of wrapping up the year and expressing what you want to share with family, friends and strangers so you can welcome in the New Year with a clean slate! If there are some things on your checklist that you’d like to share, I’d love to hear them! 

Donna Hooper
Academy CounselPro7 Software Trainer
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
9444 Balboa Avenue, Suite 300
San Diego, California 92123
Phone: (800) 846-1555
www.aaepa.com