The beginning of the year is a great time to plan all the practical things that you need to take care of over the course of the year.  Putting in a few hours now will save time and stress later — and reduce the likelihood that you'll forget:

• Schedule your regular health appointments for the year:  physical, dental check-ups, eye exam, and any other regular appointment you might have.  Don't forget Fluffy and Fido– schedule vet appointments too!
• Schedule household maintenance appointments — even if they won't occur until next fall:  yard work, furnace inspection, air conditioning inspection, chimney cleaning, sarpet shampooing.
• Make a computer file with pages for each month (this is easy to do in Excel) and/or get an accordion folder with at least 12 slots.  Make notes of things you need to take care of each month:  pay property taxes, renew insurance, review contents of a safe deposit box, review investments, rollover CDs, etc. 
• For bonus points, you can make a list of events such as birthdays and anniversaries.  Go out and buy cards now and tuck them in a folder.  At the beginning of the months, write out all the cards and get them ready for mailing.
• Stock up on basics like notecards, address labels, mailing supplies, and greeting cards.  Keep them in a handy place so you'll be able to respond quickly.