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👋 Buh-Bye, 2022.

Towards the last few weeks of the year (ahem - btw, what the heck happened to 2022 and where did it go!?), I like to come up with a list of closeout tasks to set me up on the right foot come the first of the year. 

These aren't resolutions, but rather that proverbial closing of the book when you reach that last chapter, gather your thoughts, snag your bookmark, and find a great place to tuck the novel away. You clear the path for the future growth that the new year may bring. And here's my list (note - your list is unique to you, but heck - maybe you can snag some inspo from mine). 

• 📬 Get all inboxes to Inbox Zero status.

If you've ever felt overwhelmed by just how many emails are in your inbox likely never to be open or read, consider inbox zero. Now - I keep on top of this most of the year, but towards the end, a few escape my filters and deletes, and I'm likely subscribed to all too many newsletters I'm no longer interested in. For this task, I like to audit my subscriptions, unsub from just about everything, and file / delete / respond to any outstanding emails. It's a great way to start the year off on a clean slate. 

• 💻 Transfer computer data to an external hard drive. 

I love my computer (a Dell XPS tower if you're curious), and I want to make sure my computer is runnin' in tip-top content-generatin' shape come January 1. To do that, we need to clear off files - delete old files you'll likely never use, file away docs in cloud storage where you can, and - my personal goal - get everything onto an external hard drive.

• 📑 Get all paper files scanned, uploaded, and shredded.

Now - a CPA may be cursin' the ground on which I walk to my paper shredder, but I don't like paper clutter - it takes up space, it's prone to destruction (water or file loss damage), and it's impossible to search through. But do you know what is searchable? Cloud storage. In fact, I use the free cloud storage included with Gmail (if you're worried about hackers - Google stores Drive files with encryption. The key to curin' the paper clutter bug? "Only touch it once." 

• 🖨 Print all of Sam's Cookie University Cookie Cutters.

Heck - I'd be lyin' if I didn't admit to signing up for stuff and not capitalizing on the included resources - and Sam's Cookie University wasn't an exception - but for "year-end closeout tasks," printing all of the cutters she includes in her paid membership (I think she's opening the doors again in spring 2023) was deffo on my list.

• 🤑 Complete the company financial audit and send it to the accountant.

Hard to know what you're makin' if you don't know where you're spending. And such was what the accountant relayed in the last meeting (more like gettin' sent to the corner - but like, as an adult, but also with tears). YNAB has been my favorite tool for keeping track of my personal expenses, income, and financial goals.

Okay - I'll stop makin' your eyes water with closeout boredom, but the podcast features the rest of my list (6 more tasks) along with some closeout tasks for cookiers which include:

• File your cutter collection in a searchable app (Corrie uses Cutterly)
• Run a packaging purge - if you only have a few left, may be time to donate, swap, sell, or trash.
• Clean the clutter - finding free space is the goal here. Clean it out, clean it up, or clean out someone's wallet when you sell it (donating is always a guilt-free way to make your would-be trash someone else's treasure).
• Cutter Declutter - like your clothes, some cutters you just ain't gonna use - may be a good time to box 'em up and put them on your local buy-nothing gro