Now that Labor Day is behind us, it is time to enter the final push to make 2016 successful.  There are roughly 80 days until Thanksgiving, which basically ends the work year.  That is less than 60 work days to make an impact on your year.  Instead of freaking out, figure out what you need to do to make the year a success for your company, team and yourself.

I would focus on the following areas.

1.       Your Professional Development.  It is time to stop procrastinating and get your continuing education credits (and other training) done.  It is important that you invest in yourself but also that you are current.  One of the easiest ways to get overlooked for a promotion is because you let your credentials lapse.

2.       Your “Stated” Goals. It is a great time to check where your progress on your performance goals.  Are you going to make bonus?  Where are you missing budget?  Do you have the tools to fix it?  This should be a quarterly exercise any way, but for the fourth quarter, now is the time to review.  Waiting until October is too late.

3.       Your Short Term Projects.  Stay motivated and get all of those annoying quick projects off your desk.  Need to analyze some boring reports or reorganize an office area?  Take care of it now. You get to cross them off your To Do list and add them to your accomplishments for the year.

4.       Your Long Term Projects.  Guess what?  The end of the year is upon us.  All of those reengineering programs that you were going to do, need to be sped up and finished.  Was reinventing the sales cycle or the AP process all year a project?  The time to get it done is now.  What is great about this type of pressure is that it unclouds you and enables you to work through the project with renewed interest.

5.       Your Personal Development.  Look at the relationships you developed over the year and see how they impacted your ability to perform your job better.  If you did not invest in building deeper relations with your co-workers, customers, or colleagues, then you need to do it now.  Focus on growing your sphere of influence.  The more people who like you, the easier it is to get your tasks completed.

End the year on a high, work hard to improve your performance and you will reap rewards.  Who knows, you may figure out how to coast all year and surge your way to greatness.