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I hope everybody is having a great time throughout the winter holidays, and I also would like to chip in by wishing happy holidays to all of you.

But while everybody is busy with preparing for the next year I also wanted to remind you that 2008 is far from over! If you want to make the most of the last days of this year, here are the six things you’ll definitely need to do before 2008 is coming to an end.

1. Write a plan for the new year
I know, I know: you already have plans. But by “write a plan for the new year”, I mean: write those plans down!

It shouldn’t take more than, say, twenty minutes, but those twenty minutes will be some of the most usefully spent twenty minutes of your entire week. Your plans don’t have to be forecasts, guesses and they don’t even have to be entirely grounded. But still, every written plan (even those, coming from thin air) is better than not having one. At least you can change or ignore it later!

2. Thoroughly analyze this year
Analyzing the previous year is usually the first task of the upcoming one. But if you ask me, that way a review, an analysis or a report will eat up much of the impetus of a new year.

I assume you don’t expect groundbreaking events in the remaining six-or-so days. If this is the case, everything is given to think this year over, and have the analysis ready by the end of the year. This way you can use the strength and the energy of the new year on more important things.

3. Thank someone for the best moment of this year
When you prepare your analysis of this year (I suggest you do this in written form as well), you will obviously encounter your personal top lists. While these are mostly nostalgic lists (the best trips, the best jokes, the best foods etc), you might find some of these very useful, too (like, for example, the list of your biggest mistakes or worst failures).

Some of these lists will include only you, while others will include, well…, others as well. I guess you will find these lists quite self-explanatory, but if you have absolutely no clue what to do with them, here’s an idea: make a list of this year’s best moments, and thank someone for the moment on top of that list. You won’t regret it, I promise.

4. Forget something
Lists, again. I’m sure you had your ups and downs, just like everybody else. Pick the moment you’d most want to forget – and forget it. If a person is involved, forgive him or her. It’ll well pay off, too.

5. Choose a goal for the next year
Goals are, of course parts of your written plan (see the first point), but picking one particular goal and making it major your goal for 2009, will help you focus on that one thing. Write it down, too, and you’re already closer to that goal than 95% of people are to his or her goals.

6. Leave a comment!
Do you have other ideas? Do you want to share your written goal or do you want to say thanks for your best moment in public? Please leave a comment and do so!