Five Things to Do Before 2011 Ends

1. Consider your successes in 2011. There will be time enough for resolutions and all that this weekend. Take a moment in the next couple days to sit down quietly somewhere and list your accomplishments. Look for progress, not perfection. I can almost guarantee that you will be surprised.

2. Get a new welcome mat. Unless you got one for Christmas, the old one is faded and worn out. has some nice ones and some fun ones, and surely has some, as well. You will feel happier every time you walk into your house.

3. Check your smoke detectors.

4. Throw out everything you've had in the fridge for more than six months. That huge jar of relish? Chuck it. That bottle of fat-free salad dressing that no one likes? Throw it away.

5. Focus on joy. Look back at 2011 and find the moments that brought you joy. Remember what that felt like. Hold it close. Look for it in 2012.

Thought for the day, courtesy of Happy Publishing

"People who take risks are the people you’ll lose against." - John Sculley