Now Christmas is, sadly, behind us we can look forward to the New Year ahead. There are a number of things we can do to make 2009 a little easier and a little happier, here are some ideas:

• Tidy Up And Sort Out
  We’ve been putting it off for far too long so empty out those drawers, filing cabinets, cupboards and clear it all out. Make space for the year ahead by having a really good sort out now. Get rid of those old ink cartridges and toners for age old printers, recycle the old mobile phone collection and give your screen, keyboard and mouse a good clean. Tidy up your data folders and archive those e-mails you’ve been hanging onto forever.
• Give Things You Don’t Want To Charity
  Whilst you are having a good sort out think twice before actually binning things you don’t want or need. Put useful relevant items in those plastic bags that charity organisations leave at your front door.
• Write Things Down
  When we learn something new or have an inspirational thought – write it down otherwise it might be forgotten when life gets in the way. Try Google Notes or Evernote.
• Say “Thank You” More Often
  Actually this point is from Ali Hale over at Alpha Student Blog. We don’t say thank you as much as we should but we all like to hear it so add a little joy to someone’s days and thank them for the work they have done. You don’t have to go overboard with the praise just a little appreciation goes a very long way.
• Learn Something New
  It doesn’t have to be back to school time but learning something new gives your brain something different to think about. Maybe you have fancied giving software development a go? Or always dreamt of designing in Flash? Perhaps even underpin your knowledge with academic learning. Try the Open University or BCS for starters.
• Don’t Worry
  Don’t waste time worrying or speculating about what other people are doing – your time will be much better spent thinking about the things YOU are doing. Keep a to do list handy and don’t be afraid to say No when your workload gets too high.
• Get Organised
  Not enough time to sort out the bills? Too busy and missed that important appointment? Set aside a period of time to focus on organising the way you do things – get a calendar and write down important events. Try Google Calendar and get reminded of important upcoming events.
• Do A Book Swap
  Find a book you have read and swap it with a book someone else has read on the understanding you will both read the others book. You may learn something new about each other and gain a new interest. You could also try BookCrossing.
• Buy Someone A Gift
  Especially if it is out of the blue. How many times have we heard someone say something like “I saw something in the shop today I thought you would like…” – go ahead and give it as a gift, here are some low cost ideas: 10 Low Cost Tech Gifts For Christmas.
• Put Some Money Away
  For a rainy day. It can be difficult especially as times are pretty hard at the moment but even a small amount can build up and help during those tricky times.
• Give A Little Extra
  Be it increasing a regular charity donation, or helping out more – giving  a little extra helps everybody and is good for the soul. Here are some tech charities that could do with some extra help: 15 tech charities that need your help.