You already know your successes and failures; which parts you need to address and how. So write them down. Make them real. Prioritize the list in order of importance. Under each one, leave two spaces for solutions and in the case of a larger operation, an extra line for names of the responsible parties.
Don't go crazy. One to ten will usually suffice.
If you are going way past that, you may well want to forgo Christmas!
Now you have your master document, address each matter with a well considered single paragraph answer and the names of the parties who will facilitate a solution.
Proceed to the photocopying machine and make as many copies as there are responsible parties. Circulate with a request that their response to each issue is placed below yours and is required on your desk by day's end.
If it's just you, then you have your outline
for your first day of next year's business.
If it's a collection of staff replies, you can review their comments, extract important points and retype the master sheet with these additions.
Now you officially have an agenda/ action plan for your first senior staff meeting of the New Year, which you will have placed on everyone's desk to greet them on their return.
Our estimate, about a day to organize.
Let's see if the New Year brings a true understanding in the message, that too many meetings, to set the agendas for the next meetings, are a corporate abuse of time and only place a BandAid on the cut.
Moving forward requires action...
full of ideas, assessment, agreement and implementation
not extra gatherings!
Now you can truly relax, in the knowledge that the first hurdle of next year, was cleared before your ham and mince pies!