The week between Christmas and New Year’s Day is a time when I always gather my thoughts about the waning year. It’s also a great time to start gathering receipts for tax purposes, addresses from holiday cards and any items needing to be returned or exchanged from the flurry that is gifting. By undertaking a little conscious gathering you’ll be in a much better position to start the new year off in an orderly fashion.
Make some notes: What moments stood out most for you this year? What was your favorite purchase? Which purchase do you regret and why? Who made the biggest impact on you? What books or movies resonated most with you? What was on your playlist for 2023?
Photographs: Before too much time goes by, are there any photos from a trip or occasion on your phone that you might like to download into a printable album format? It’s come up a few times when talking with friends that although the phone camera has allowed us to take more and better photos, we don’t enjoy them in the same way we used to. Making photo albums is a time-consuming task, but if you start now, it might be the perfect Christmas gift for someone next year.
Receipts: If you haven’t already, check purses, jacket pockets, the center console in the car, kitchen drawers and all the usual places for receipts that you might need come tax filing time. Ideally you should be filing these in a folder all year, but if you haven’t, start gathering now. If any are beginning to fade, use a pen to notate the date, item and amount before it is completely illegible.
New contact information: If you receive holiday cards and text messages, it’s a great time to update your contact list and make note of any changes This could include items in the notes area of the contact, such as a new baby and its birthday, a marriage, a divorce, or anything else you might want to track as a reminder for yourself about the person.
Returns and exchanges: As you gather receipts, set aside any for non-tax deductible gifts that need returning or exchanging. Any expensive items might warrant the receipt being saved in a file, either under receipts for the category (wardrobe, jewelry, tech, home décor) or if covered by insurance, in a file with the policy if that is where you would think to look for it. For returns and exchanges, keep the receipts with the item, preferably in your car so that when you are out and about you don’t forget to take them with you. Nothing is worse than finding parking in front of a store you have a return for and not having the item and receipt with you.
It’s also a great time to do a casual gather of friends or family you haven’t yet seen for the holidays without the pressure of a big meal, special decorations or gifts. Lots of people take this week off and there will be boredom—you can only do so much Duolingo. Plan a little BYOB, bake some brownies and gather the tribe. Look back on 2023 with some gently organized gathering and look forward to 2024 with some casually organized fun.