Pick your January vibe:

1. Hit the ground running.

2. Actually rest and reset after the holidays.

The whole goal of this blog is to help you achieve whichever January vibe you're going for. A mix of both is also a worthy goal!

For too many years, I've always left my yearly changeover for January (a totally feasible option), but I'm realizing that I'm quasi-wasting some precious time that could be used for actually resting from the craziness of the year (and Q4 for us product businesses).

This year, I'd like to be completely 2027-ready well before the calendar changes over. If you're feeling motivated to do the same, then you're in good company.

This may not seem like the right time to tackle all of this because of the holiday season and whatnot, but it's actually a great time. You're already in motion and go-mode. You know, an object in motion stays in motion mentality.

It's so much easier to do these things now than it is to start from this state:

Here are 8 practical things to do in November and December so you can get organized, prepare for 2027, and start January ahead (or actually enjoy a little rest!).

8 Things to Do Before January 1

1. Establish and Set Up Your Planning Systems for 2027

Of course this is the first thing I'm going to say!

Planners are a tool to help support our life and wellbeing. They are our sidekick and second brain. One of the best ways to prepare for the new year is to have your planner prepared. But first, you have to know what you need.

How Do You Choose Your Planners and Calendars for the Year?

In order to choose a planner and calendar, you need to be realistic about what your current season is and NOT what your ideal season is.

Decide how much time you can and want to spend planning per month, week, and day. Then decide if you like to plan by the week or the day.

Here at Sprouted Planner, I've made a free printable pack with all our planner layouts to help you decide which planner layout will work best for you: Hourly, Daily, Weekly, or Monthly. You can grab thathere.

Does your family have a command center with some sort of calendar? Do you have a to-go planner? Decide which planners and calendars you actually need.

As for me, I guess I have four different planners/calendars:

• My main squeeze (the Hourly Planner).

• My content planner (the Monthly Planner).

• My Giant Calendar for the full year and big-picture planning.

• A shared family calendar in our Command Central area (I buy that one at Office Depot).

Plan Summer Activities and Camps for the Kids

One big part of my January is planning out the summer with my family.

I have two elementary-aged kids who attend 2–3 camps each summer. We also have a camper and like to go camping as a family.

Both summer camps and camping spots typically open up around January/February, and some of them fill up FAST.

I use a little printable calendar to rough-sketch the schedule for the summer. You can also grab that for free  here.

How Do I Set Up My Planner for the New Year?

There's no wrong way to set up your planner for the new year, but here's the order I recommend:

1. Decide what matters to you and identify your hopes for the new year.

2. Plan your big-picture projects, events, and priorities.

3. Fill in your monthly calendars with what you already know: appointments, birthdays, anniversaries, vacations, and other important dates.

Getting these things into your planner now means you won't have to start from scratch in January.

I'll be releasing my annual planner setup YouTube video on Thursday, November 19th. Even if you aren't using a Sprouted Planner, you can still follow along to set up your planner for 2027!

2. Update and Set Up Your Financial Systems for 2027

After a season of heavy spending, you'll want to go into January with a fresh slate. Getting ahead of your financial tracking and systems will help you do that.

Get Your Financial Tracking Caught Up

If you have a spending-tracking system, now is the time to catch up wherever you're behind.

Whether it's an online system (like YNAB, Rocket Money, or Quicken) or a paper system you've set up, take a little time every day to get caught up in your chosen system.

Don't let another month of transactions pile up!

Set Up Your Money Tracking System for the New Year

If this applies to you, get your tracking system set up now.

This is especially true if you use a paper system or have created your own spreadsheet system (raising my hand on that one).

Getting your financial system(s) set up before the new year will help keep you on track with your financial goals, boundaries, budgets, and general tracking.

Don't give yourself another excuse/reason to fall behind on this task.

Plan Ahead for Taxes: Contributions, Folders, and Filing

Be kind to yourself and don't let taxes wait until April 14th.

The more you can do now, the easier it will be to file when the time comes.

Here are four things you can do to prepare for tax season:

1. Set up file folders (both physical and digital).

2. Review any year-end contribution opportunities that apply to you, such as 529 plans or IRAs. Check eligibility, limits, and deadlines before making contributions.

3. Print off a tax checklist (whether you created one or your accountant has one).

4. Bonus: When you do your taxes this year, make your own checklistof the forms you gathered (and any other information you can include) so it can be a reference for following years.

I did this two years ago, and it's been incredibly helpful!

You don't have to prepare your entire tax return now. Just make it easier on yourself when tax season arrives.

3. Organize Your Physical Things Before the New Year

I'm looking mainly at you, paperwork!

We had our family over this weekend, which means we spent 2–3 days manically cleaning and prepping our house.

I had a stack of paper to file on my floor for the last four weeks. I got it filed in 10 minutes, maybe even less.

Trust me, bro – it will be faster than you think! So just get it done before the new year.

File the Pile of Papers

If you have a pile of papers, just go through it and sort everything into four piles:

1. Recycle.

2. Shred.

3. Keep/file.

4. Take action.

That keep/file pile? Just do it, assuming you already have a system set up with folders.

Get everything into its rightful place so that when tax time rolls around, it's already there.

Shred the Pile

You know the pile.

Pop in your headphones, grab some garbage bags, and shred away.

Put on a podcast or your favorite playlist and just get through it. You'll feel so much better when it's done.

Declutter the Toys

If you have kids or grandkids, you know the toy situation is out of control.

And great news, more is coming your way in the next two months!

Work with your kids to declutter the toys they haven't touched in months or years. Do it now before more stuff comes in.

This is also a great time to do it because you can threaten kids, "If we don't declutter our toys, you won't be able to get any new ones."

Okay, I'm kind of joking here, but I've totally done this before, and it's highly motivating for them.

Also, when you donate good-condition toys now, others will be able to thrift them and rehome them for their own kiddos or grands.

It's just an all-around good time to do this task.

Please note how I'm NOT telling you to declutter your whole house. Just do the toys right now, which are relatively low-hanging fruit.

4. Review Your Year List and Take Action

In Sprouted Planners, the concept of the "yearly bucket list" is simply called the Year List.

You decided what you wanted to do before the year was done back in January (or before). It's time to take an honest look at your list and do one of four things with each remaining task:

1. Do it.

2. Schedule it.

3. Cross it off.

4. Move it to next year (last resort).

Be realistic here.

You haven't done it for almost a full year – why?

Is it unrealistic? Is it actually not that important? Have you simply prioritized other things?

There's no reason to carry a list of things you don't actually want to do into another year.

Give yourself permission to cross things off. Your Year List should reflect what matters to you, not become another source of guilt.

5. Make Your Appointments for the First Quarter of 2027

Instead of kicking all your appointment scheduling into next year, just get them set up now.

I don't mean get them set up for November and December. Get any Q1 appointments on the calendar.

Setting them up is half the battle.

Here are some appointments to consider scheduling:

1. General physicals.

2. Dentist.

3. Vision.

4. The dreaded ones: mammo/gyno/colonoscopy.

5. Oil change.

You could also include hair appointments, car maintenance, home maintenance, and anything else you've been putting off.

The goal is to start January with these things already on your calendar instead of having to remember to schedule them.

6. Clean Up Your Digital Things

We get away with digital clutter much easier than physical clutter, but it's going to catch up with us sooner or later.

If we can pounce on it now, it's much easier to stay ahead of it.

Clean Out Your Email Inbox

In less than two weeks, your inbox is going to be a disaster with all the shopping and promo stuff, holiday gatherings, school events, end-of-year money seeking, and whatever else people can throw at us.

Here's three things to do now to get that sucker under control:

1. Get your inbox to zero before Black Friday. I find it easier to tackle my inbox within these next two weeks (like, down to zero) so I can stay on top of all the things to come.

2. Unsubscribe from all the companies that no longer serve you or bring you joy. Be ruthless here.

3. Set up folders inside your email and create rules so certain emails go directly there (when it makes sense).

Delete Photos From Your Phone You No Longer Want or Need

You'd be shocked at how many photos or screenshots you can delete and how much space you can free up on your phone.

You don't have to organize every photo from the last ten years. Just start with the obvious stuff: duplicates, accidental screenshots, blurry photos, and things you don't need anymore.

Clear Out Your Computer Desktop

Whether you admit it or not, the files on your home screen take up brain space every time you see them!

Give yourself a clean slate every time you jump on your desktop or laptop by clearing off all the files on your home screen.

If it's getting cluttered with screenshots, make a screenshot-specific folder in Documents and set your screenshots to automatically save to that folder instead.

This has been a game changer for me!

Clean Out Your Downloads Folder

You might want to give it a quick once-over to make sure you don't need anything before doing this.

Then, usually, you have a certain number of days before items are permanently deleted from your trash.

I'm raising my hand on this task. The number of things in my Downloads folder is ALL the things.

I've let this task get out of control, and I want a fresh slate for 2027.

7. Use Up What You Already Have

This is the time of year that we amass more.

Everything is on sale. Let's buy it!

One thing we can do to counter this is to use up what we already have before amassing more.

Here are some areas where you can use things up:

1. Things in your pantry and freezer.

2. Gift cards.

3. Makeup samples.

4. Toiletries.

5. Craft supplies! Stickers, washi tape, pens.

This is a great time to shop your own house before buying more.

Make a few meals from your freezer, use those gift cards you've been saving, and finally open up those samples and craft supplies.

You don't have to go into 2027 with a bunch of half-used products and supplies that you forgot you owned.

8. Start Now (Instead of Waiting Until January)

The popular position is to START in January.

Go hog wild now, and start in January!

Show of hands…how many people have stuck to the thing you started in January?

If you have, fantastic – that's awesome! But starting something new in January isn't necessarily the magic solution we make it out to be.

If you start the thing NOW that you've been wanting to start, then you'll have momentum to keep going toward the end of January when all the glitz of the new year has worn off.

If you start now and successfully navigate your way through the holidays, you'll already have some experience sticking with it when life gets busy.

I won't get too far into this, but I quit drinking for a year, and I started on November 17th.

Yes, it was really hard during the holidays. I missed the wine at Thanksgiving, the Tom & Jerrys at Christmas, and the Champagne on New Year's.

And it was still kind of hard in January, but significantly less hard because I had already flexed that muscle for six weeks leading up to it.

Something I always remind myself is this:

The time will pass anyway.

The time will pass anyway, and you'll do one thing or the other.

What if you choose to start the thing you've really wanted to do and just start it now?

It won't be easy, but you'll have traction already by the new year.

Whether it's a workout routine, eating differently, being on time, getting off social media (or limiting it), or creating a new system for your mornings, finances, or meals, you don't have to wait for January 1.

You can start today.

How to Actually Get These Things Done Before 2027

It might seem like a lot of things on this list, especially amongst all the things that need to happen in the next eight weeks.

So how do you get to all of them?

First of all, you don't have to do them all.

This is nearly a suggestion to get you in a good place by January 1 so you can spend the month doing what you actually want to do instead of playing catch-up and setting things up.

Choose 2–3 of these things to do, and you'll still be that much farther ahead.

If I were to choose just two things, it would be planning and financial systems.

Or, you can choose one thing to focus on per week. There are eight things on the list. Coincidence? I think not.

Lastly, and this one is super important:You don't have to do any of this!

You can wait until February to do any of these things.

This is just a suggestion, and you're in control.

If the holidays are hard enough, then forget about any of this! Use this as a guide in January, and it will still apply.

Use what serves you, and let the rest go.

Simply put, I want to help you begin January without a giant to-do list so you can act on whatever matters to you.

With that said, here's the condensed version of the [totally optional] 2027 preparation checklist:

Your 2027 Head Start Checklist

1. Planning Systems

• Choose planners and calendars.

• Get your summer calendar printable.

• Set up your 2027 planner.

2. Financial Systems

• Catch up on your money tracking.

• Set up your 2027 tracking system.

• Create physical and digital tax folders.

• Review applicable year-end contribution opportunities.

3. Organize Physical Things

• File paperwork.

• Shred the pile.

• Sort papers that need action.

• Declutter toys before the holiday influx.

4. Review Your Year List

• Do it.

• Schedule it.

• Cross it off.

• Move it to next year if necessary.

5. Make Appointments

• Schedule Q1 appointments.

• Get dental, vision, and physical appointments on the calendar.

• Schedule car maintenance.

6. Clean Up Digital Things

• Clean out your email inbox.

• Unsubscribe from unwanted emails.

• Set up automatic email filing.

• Delete unwanted photos and screenshots.

• Clean up files on your desktop.

• Clear out your Downloads folder.

7. Start Now

• Begin that workout routine.

• Make the changes you've been wanting to make.

• Start the systems you've been putting off.

8. Use Up What You Have

• Pantry and freezer food.

• Gift cards.

• Makeup samples.

• Toiletries.

• Craft supplies, stickers, and washi tape.

Frequently Asked Questions About Getting Ready for 2027.

What should I do before the new year to get organized?

Start by setting up your planner and calendar, organizing financial paperwork, catching up on household paperwork, scheduling appointments, and cleaning up digital files. Choose a few tasks that will make January easier rather than trying to do everything.

When should I start preparing for the new year?

November and December are great times to prepare for the new year. Starting before January allows you to get important tasks out of the way while giving yourself more time to rest and enjoy the holidays.

How can I start the new year without feeling overwhelmed?

Prepare a few practical things ahead of time, such as your planning system, finances, appointments, and household organization. You don't need to complete every task. Choose two or three priorities and leave room for rest.

What should I include in a new year preparation checklist?

A useful checklist can include planning systems, financial organization, paperwork, appointments, digital decluttering, reviewing unfinished goals, using up household supplies, and getting a head start on habits or projects.

Here's to starting 2027 ahead of the game – or at least giving yourself permission to enjoy January without a giant to-do list!