Five top tips for wiping the slate clean ahead of January.

At the best of times, New Year is, shall we say, emotional. At the worst, it’s a terrifying week-long hangover in which you question everything about yourself and decide, on reflection, to change it all. But you can lessen the impact of this inevitably gut-wrenching occasion by getting in there that little bit earlier with the minor fix-ups. Especially given the fact that we have covered so many life-hacky topics on The Daily this year. Before you resort to writing long and fruitless lists of resolutions in the coming days, perhaps consider the below, which should make such vows somewhat unnecessary. From sorting out your clothes to re-affirming your professional and personal priorities, this is how you will enter 2017 smiling.

Streamline your wardrobe

Naturally, we at MR PORTER are fond of clothes. But they do tend to pile up. Having a clear-out or rethink is a worthy use of your time in the run-up to new year, and will make heading back into work for that first awful week that little bit easier. Click through for Mr Alfred Tong’s expert guide to achieving sartorial zen.

Sort out your feeds

We often talk about being bombarded with information in the digital era, as if we have absolutely no control over what gets sent our way. Actually, the opposite is the case – being judicious about when we use our phones and internet connections, as well as how many people we see and interact with on social media, is a quick route to a better state of mind. In short, now is a great time to re-organise your digital life – do so with Mr Oliver Burkeman’s tips on how to switch off.

Make a list of goals

Resolutions – do they work? Let’s keep it quick: no. Setting a number of realistic short- and long-term goals, however, is among the techniques that Mr Charles Duhigg, the author of Smarter, Better, Faster, recommends for generally improving one’s productivity. Read about this and other smart moves in his list of five ways to be more productive.

Apologise

Have you done something awful in 2016? Yes, of course you have. Unfortunately, the New Year won’t automatically wipe the slate clean. But you can go some way towards doing so manually by making amends for anything you feel bad about. Don’t see in 1 January guilty as well as bleary eyed. Make a proper apology.

Get a haircut

It may seem somewhat superficial, but spending some time dealing with your hair demons can be a great way to reset your attitude for New Year. Make a change, and get it right, with our guide on switching up your haircut, as well as Mr David Hellqvist’s pointers on standing up to your barber.