Craig Rettig.com

Yes, it’s been a while, but between the holiday bustle and a nasty head cold, I haven’t been extremely chatty as of late.

In any case, the end of the year brings with it certain things that need done, and the changing of the calendar is a good time as any. Maybe these will help remind you of a few things you need to do.

• Change the batteries in your home’s smoke detectors and test them.
• Clean out the inside of your computer(s). This is something that should be done at least annually and probably 2–3 times a year if you keep your computer on the floor, have a dusty home, or have pets who shed.
• Change the passwords of all my sensitive accounts, such as e-mail, banking, credit cards, and any online bill-pay accounts. You should be doing this at least once a year to help combat password hacking. MakeUseOf has an excellent guide on creating strong, but easy-to-remember passwords.
• Take a personal inventory. This will include things I’ve accomplished, things I meant to accomplish but didn’t, and goals for the next year. I prefer “goals” to “resolutions” as it sounds more imperative and definite. Plus, there isn’t that triteness associated with New Year’s resolutions, which most people break by February anyway. If you are the resolution type, however, Leo Babauta has a great article on sticking to your resolutions over on Zen Habits.

If I don’t post anything between now and then, have a happy, fun, and safe New Year’s Eve.