Dec. 31 always feels like a deadline. But if you’re racing to get things done by the end of the year, it will be difficult to start 2025 off on the right foot mentally. 

As we say goodbye to 2024, we’re making a point to do five things that will allow us to refresh this holiday season and be ready to take on 2025 with gusto. We invite you to do the same.

Celebrate the work you did this year.

Whether you met all of your goals, you and your team worked hard this year and deserve to celebrate. So take some time to write thank-you notes, organize lunches or host a party if that’s your thing. You could even coordinate a year-end awards ceremony and hand out award certificates to your team members. Closing out the year on a high note fosters team building, making everyone all the more motivated to dive into the new year. 

Take time away.

PTO requests are ubiquitous this time of year, but is the time you’re taking off work truly a break? We get that late December is busy with cooking, holiday celebrations and caring for kids who are off school, but try to carve out some time — even an afternoon — to pause, reflect and rejuvenate. 

For some of us, that means spending time in nature. For others, it could mean hitting the gym. Or journaling. Going to the spa. Reading. Or a bit of all of the above. There’s no universal roadmap. Simply do whatever helps you slow down.

Be mindful about your content strategy.

By now, you should already be up and running with your 2025 program. Still, the new year is a good time to level-set and re-evaluate whether what you’ve planned is doable in your budget and timeline. Now’s the time to make adjustments by asking for additional resources or trimming back on the amount of content you plan to produce. 

Higher-ups will appreciate a heads-up before the end of the year. And this means when you come back from the holiday break, you can be confident and comfortable in what you are working toward in the new year.

Tend to your network.

Year end is the perfect time to reconnect with your network and keep your relationships strong. Whether you’ll be hiring, considering a job change or simply needing a sounding board in the new year, having a solid network to rely on is invaluable. If you find yourself with a few quiet moments this month, consider reaching out with a quick email, LinkedIn message or handwritten note. For those special connections, a small, thoughtful gift could go a long way in showing your appreciation.

Organize your workspace.

Take some time to set up and streamline your organizational systems, whether you rely on email folders, Dropbox, Google Drive or tools like Airtable or Monday.com. It’s also the perfect opportunity to declutter your desk and purge anything you no longer need. Getting everything in order now will make diving into work in January so much easier — and more enjoyable. 

Now that you’re organized and mentally ready, let’s dig in to 2025 together!