Business resolutions? Yes, indeed. Here we are at the beginning of another New Year. Are you feeling disappointed or less than satisfied with last year’s accomplishments for your small business? The beauty of starting a new year is having a clean slate and a renewed motivation. But, what if you’re having trouble finding that motivation? Here’s the good news, New Year’s Day is the first blank page of a 365-page book. It’s up to you to write a good page…
Make business resolutions now and start the new year off right!
10 Tips to Start the New Year off with Enthusiasm and Excitement
1. Downtime
Let’s be honest, the holidays aren’t that restful. If you don’t feel like you got a good rest over the holidays, take one now. If you start the year off drained and overworked, it will be much harder to dig yourself out of that rut. Take some time for yourself. Rest and refocus; your small business {and family} will thank you for it!
2. Reward Yourself
We’ve found that entrepreneurs don’t reward themselves enough. There is still a mismatch between what science knows and what small business owners do. Take time to reward yourself for business accomplishments!
- What did y9ou set out to accomplish last year?
- Did you achieve it?
- Did you reward yourself?
Since you’re human, chances are you weren’t able to cross everything off of your list of business goals, but that doesn’t mean you weren’t successful. If you accomplished at least one goal last year, treat yourself to something special. You deserve it! So, what did you achieve last year and how are you going to reward yourself?
Rewarding yourself is quite possibly the most undervalued of business resolutions we’re recommending.
3. Drink More (Water)
Sounds silly, right? The life of an entrepreneur is full of unpredictable meetings, long days, and crazy schedules. It’s hard to fit in everything, especially exercise. But, we’re confident you can easily tackle this one single tip that will help improve your overall health and wellness in the new year. Drinking more water has many health benefits, and it’s important to start the year on a positive note. Strive to drink eight glasses a day, and your skin will look better; your muscles will be more energized, and you will help control your calorie intake. Trust us, you’ll be a better business owner for it!
4. Organize Your Business Life
Do you have a mess in your home office? Don’t work off of a to-do list? Create one. An organized and simplified workspace will help you feel less cluttered and more accomplished. It will streamline your work and help to keep you focused throughout the week. Getting more done quicker is always a good thing. Some business owners find great value in organizing projects with resources like Trello boards which help you manage projects easier.
5. Goals
If you haven’t formally outlined your business or marketing plan for the New Year, it’s not too late. Thinking through your goals and actually getting them down on paper will get you excited about new possibilities. Writing them down makes them more tangible, and it’s much easier to hold yourself accountable this way. This means you’re more likely to accomplish what you set out to. You can’t be totally motivated for the New Year unless you have a plan. Use your calendar and plan ahead. Make notes for all annual events, sales, promotions, and special items. Then, go in and plug in goals and other things you’d like to add. Seeing it on your business calendar helps you plan and space events out to make them more attainable.
Business resolutions without goals are like taking a trip without a map.
A vision board is usually a collage of images that represent personal or business goals and dreams. It can include cut-out pictures from magazines and words that help inspire you to manifest your personal and business dreams and get where you want to go. We recommend business owners use some form of vision boarding to help you gain self-awareness and self-reflect on what is important to you, your business, and your family.
Vision boards may also help you imagine what a positive future could look like for your business. Imagining a positive future is a helpful way to increase positive emotions and optimism. And positive emotions often create opportunities and increase the chances of business success.
7. Motivation
Give yourself those much-needed pep talks, or entrust a family member or close friend to do it for you. There is nothing better than a motivational talk to get yourself energized and ready to face the New Year. Don’t have someone close to lean on? Any member of the 316 Strategy Group will be happy to jump on a phone call and give you a dose of inspiration. We’re just a phone call away!
8. Accountability
It’s worthless to plan, prioritize, and set goals if you’re not going to hold yourself and your business accountable. Set up a periodic checking system so that you can review your progress, or lack thereof, on a regular basis. Have a plan in place so that if you are falling behind, you can rebound quickly.
9. Reflection
Look back at your business goals from last year. What did you accomplish, what didn’t you? Sure, there may be some goals you had set that you didn’t reach, but there are many that you did. Big or small, count your successes from the past year. What obstacles did you overcome in your business? How did you improve? What did your business learn? Focusing on the positive rather than the negative can help reinvigorate you and your business.
10. Reconnect
Are there people who inspire you that you’ve lost touch with? Are there business partners that you haven’t worked with for a while that lift you up? Are there forums that you find beneficial but haven’t visited recently? Reconnect with them. There are naturally people in your life that provide a special pick-me-up, and chances are you can think of them without too much effort. Reach out and make sure you are surrounding yourself with other motivated individuals. Reconnecting may be the most challenging of our business resolutions. Master this and your business will flourish in the new year.
Write Your Own Story
Starting the New Year off right doesn’t have to be complicated or overwhelming. Use the simple tips and strategies we’ve outlined to achieve your business goals and make this your best year yet!
Our business strategy team works with entrepreneurs just like you to create winning business strategies, build effective organizations, improve operations, and deliver marketing & sales results for your digital businesses and initiatives. From entrepreneurs in the business planning stage to traditional enterprises looking to compete in the digital marketplace – and everything in between – we help business owners just like you to reach the right decisions and make your companies more valuable.
Use these tips to make the business resolutions necessary to take your business to new heights this year!
