Hey, it’s December. Don’t Quit Yet.

Although the holidays make us fat and jolly, Thanksgiving through the remainder of the year is not the time for you to lie down, take a nap and coast through the final 30 days of the work year. Many of us wait for New Year’s to declare our resolutions, fixes and solutions. For those who follow that mantra, shame on you; life is precious, own the final days of the year. As a career-driven individual, I see the final days of the year as the opportunity to ignite my burners. I probably gain more momentum at the end of the year than at any other point because I am a little more reflective, yet much more focused. Perhaps this is the pessimist in me – in that all the hard work I put in months 1-11 will go to waste if I take my foot off the gas. My opinion is just that, though. I may not even be in the majority of gas burners at this point in the year, but I feel as if this is where edge is born. This is where your momentum continues to evolve into velocity. This is the time of year that separates the great from the good. As you wrap up the year, here are some things to think about:

• If your job is in sales, this is the best time to sell: I have heard it a million times – no one makes big purchases (like a franchise) in December. OK, perhaps the statistics sway in that direction, however the way the prospect works in today’s world, this is the month they are going to spend making the decision on you without you even knowing. This is the month they will do their homework. Thus, the more impressions you can create and more proactive you can be, the better chance you outsell your competition come January.

• If your job is in PR, reporters still work. In fact, everyone still works: The best part about being in PR is when I have heard my team try to convince me that reporters don’t work as much in December. OK, mathematically this may be correct, but when I was a reporter my newspaper had no problem making me work on Christmas Eve. See, the news will still come out and there will still be news daily. If you are in PR, use this time to gain an edge with the big national reporters and further establish the relationships you have built with your local go-to. The client will appreciate it.

• Getting organized is a shitty resolution. Do it now: If the career world takes more naps in December, use December as your chance to get ahead. Goal set. Start your resolutions before everyone else. Get organized. Start mentally thinking about next year. Walk through the days, weeks, months and the year in your mind. This exercise will help you set the goals you want to accomplish.

• Don’t overeat, it will take more effort to resolve after the New Year: Live your life for everyday. The second you start cutting corners is the second you will have to work harder to rid unwanted lbs. The word “cheating” is bullshit. Cheating is quitting. Don’t quit because it is the holidays. Stay true to the person you desire to be or become. Create a lifestyle, don’t go on fad diets.

Life is short, appreciate everything: I write a lot about life in my columns. Life is short. Look around at your life, be reflective, but live for the day. Appreciate the fact that you had a good year and are making it into the next. Everyone has bad days, week, months and stretches. But be happy to be alive. Carry this appreciation into your job. If you hate your job, quit. Find something else to do that makes money and pays your bills. Resolve to find your inner happiness. Those are my initial reflections as the calendar turns to December. I am looking forward to the productive and strong month.