As the holiday season fast approaches, countless entrepreneurs and hardworking business owners quietly wish they had more – and could do more – for the ones they love.

Sound familiar?

Some business entrepreneurs wish that they could buy special gifts or host large, elegant get-togethers with family and friends without having to consider the price tag. If 2015 hasn’t been as profitable as you hoped, the holiday season can demoralize and even stressful.

Other business owners struggle to find a balance between mounting professional responsibilities and quality time with friends and family. Trying to wrap up the end of the year can feel like you’re climbing an endless flight of stairs, with no end in sight. There is often nothing more than disappointing that working hard and not enjoying the payoff of being able to enjoy time with your loved ones during the holiday season.

Still other entrepreneurs feel panicked that they haven’t achieved their goals for 2015. Some try to finish the year strong by trying to bring in new business with no solid strategy. Others throw in the towel and give up, convincing themselves that they’ll turn things around next year, somehow.

Here’s the good news: It’s not too late to finish December on the right foot. More importantly, it’s certainly not too late to set the stage for 2016 so you can take the new year on with focus and drive. The trick is that you need to finish December with the proper mindset.

Do you want to spend the end of December enjoying your friends and family?

If the answer is yes,  then hopefully you have used the first several weeks of the month to accomplish your professional responsibilities. Want to be able to splurge on a special gift for your child, parent or spouse? Then the time to take thoughtful action is now. Don’t let December be a write off. Challenge yourself to make these next few weeks really count.

At the end of the year, it’s easy to lose focus on your goals and be swept away into the holiday madness of December. But, if you create a feasible plan, you can enjoy your holiday minus the madness.

Here are a few final thoughts I’d like to leave you with that will help you finish December strong and increase profitability in the new year:
#1. Give yourself a pat on the back. It’s so important to take stock of your successes in the past year. It’s easy to look back and regret not having met certain goals. But, if you sit down and reflect, I’ll bet you’ll see that you achieved more than you think, whether or the successes and milestones were large or small. Celebrate and be grateful for the “wins” you had this year. Let them energize you to dream bigger, plan smarter, and accomplish more in the year to come.

#2. Make sure your priorities are in check. Ask yourself, what’s truly important? What do you value most, and are you living your life in accordance with your values? While it’s critical that you set professional goals for 2016 and take action steps to achieve them, it’s equally important that you spend quality time over the holidays with your loved ones. You work hard all year to be able to provide for your loved ones, but the best gift you’ll ever give them is your time, love and undivided attention. Work double hard this month and when the holidays roll around, turn off your phone for a few days to recharge with friends and family.

#3. Tie up loose ends. If you want to start January 2016 off on the right foot, make sure you wrap up any lingering projects that you’ve pushed off again and again this year. You don’t want any large projects hanging over your head or distracting you when you should be focussed on what you need to do daily, weekly and monthly to achieve your goals and boost profitability. If you need to eliminate anything – or anyone – who has prevented you from being productive, do so. If you need to hire a team member to help you wrap up a project, once again, do so. It will be well worth your while and you’ll be able to start 2016 fresh and focussed.

As a Master Sales and Business Strategist, speaker and consultant, I know how challenging it can be to put a plan in action and actually execute it.

Visit celestegiordano.com to learn more about how I can give you the tools and support that you need to create a plan that will allow you to build your legacy business and finish 2015 with peace of mind.