By Author Denise Turney

Finish strong as a new year gets closer, and you could reap more than fantasy success. You could pull in more than a harvest of hope and great expectations. If you’re serious about advancing in 2020, why not finish 2019 strong? Below are reasons not to take your foot off the accelerator just because 2019 is winding down. After all, the way that you finish 2019 may have more impact on how your 2020 goes than you’d imagine.

Finish Strong in 2019

Sure, it’s tempting to trick yourself into thinking that it’s too late to get real results in 2019. Makes sense. The year really is almost over. But you could use the next several weeks to finalize plans for a new book, business venture, relationship change, home renovation, financial shift, childcare options, healthy lifestyle, marketing strategy and more.

As it regards marketing, you could try a new audio, visual or print content marketing strategy, the type of content marketing strategy that could grow your sales throughout 2020. Looking for growth ideas? Check out these 2019 year-end marketing actions that you could take to yield good results in new year:

• Identify three to five experienced freelance writers who you will assign 2020 content marketing responsibilities to
• Connect with these freelance writers before 2019 closes out
• Settle on content marketing rates
• Build on your pool of copywriters
• Incorporate the strength of these copywriters into your prospecting communications
• Contact three dozen (or more) prospects before December 31, 2019

That’s just one area where you can finish 2019 strong. And you won’t have to work long hours to complete each of the above options. Simply, create a daily schedule.

Easy Ways to Finish 2019 Strong

Add three actions to each week, and you’d complete each action listed above by the end of the year. As an entrepreneur looking to grow her business, you’d be setting yourself up for a good start to 2020. This is for content marketing. But what about a lifestyle change?

For example, what if you want to get your wellness numbers within a healthy range? Consider not eating and drinking whatever you want over the next several weeks. Instead, start to change your beliefs around food, comfort, excitement and energy.

In fact, with holiday food temptations, now may be one of the best times to start creating deep healthy lifestyle roots. Doable ways to finish 2019 strong as it regards healthy eating, exercise, rest and healthy relationships (a huge part of any healthy lifestyle) include:

• Eliminate poor relationship habits like gossiping, back biting and manipulation. If you start or engage in gossip, back biting and manipulation, stop. If you’re a listener, let folks know that you’re no longer participating in these unhealthy habits.
• Drink plenty of fresh water every day. This one should be easy.
• Avoid talking yourself out of doing what’s good or better for you.

Chart Your Own Course

Chart your own path as the year progresses. Keep at it in the new year. Check out these simple ways to create finish the year strong, creating a path for a rewarding new year:

• Exercise daily
• Get your BMI, blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels tested
• Take one unhealthy food or beverage out of your diet
• Replace an unhealthy food or beverage with a healthy food or beverage item (e.g., fresh, leafy spinach, broccoli)
• Step away from your desk at least three times a day. For example, you could step away from your desk after breakfast, for lunch and an hour before you head home.
• Park several yards from stores and offices when you know you’ll exit the buildings while it’s still daylight.
• Walk stairs that are in safe locations at least once a day instead of taking an elevator
• Lift weights three days a week. You could start by lifting dumb bells for the remainder of 2019.
• Stretch at morning and at night before retiring to bed. Strengthen your balance and flexibility.

Also, finish 2019 strong by getting sufficient sleep. You could do this by turning off your TV before you go to bed. If you’re in the habit of sleeping with the TV on, consider turning your TV off the first time you wake in the middle of the night.

Prepare for a Happy New Year

Even more, you could use a lava lamp or other meditation tool to relax an hour before you head for bed. Other ways to unwind before bed include writing in a journal, counting blessings or reading a book while you relax on the sofa.

Key is to break actions into doable steps. Another key, is to get started now. Don’t let the word “now” scare you. After all, you could always just let 2019 wind down, shift into the gear of pulling back and cross your fingers and hope for magic to occur in 2020.

Then again, if improvements don’t just happen out-of-the-blue, it may be best to finish 2019 strong. Start the actions that will help to set you up for a winning 2020.