This is the time of year when we do end-of-year reviews. We look at what went well and what we’d like to do differently moving forward. After all, we want next year to be even better than this one. What often happens, however, is January 1st comes and goes and before we know it, it’s March and things don’t look quite how we’d hoped. Why?
The answer is simple. We tend to follow the same patterns over and over again. We get comfortable with what we know, who we know and how we operate. Although repetition can be wonderful tool in business, it can also become a crutch which stymies our growth. Further, it can make our businesses and brands stale.
So how can you break the repetitive cycle to infuse your business with new life in the new year?
Here are a few tips to help.
1. Decide what you want. Do you want more money? How much? Do you want better clients? What are they like? Do you want more freedom in your schedule? What specifically does that look like for you? If you don’t have an idea of what your are shooting for, you won’t know what needs to change.
2. Decide who you want to be. This a great time to refine your brand. Who is the person you strive to become? How do you want to be seen? What impact do you want to make? What do you need to do to become this person?
3. Look at who already has what you want. What are they doing that you are not? What actions are they taking? How do they represent themselves?What can you emulate from them? Success leaves clues.
4. Choose specific actions to change. Saying you want different results is not enough. You must take intentional action to support your goals. However, you cannot and should not try to change everything. Being clear on what you want and who you want to be makes it easier to decide which actions to take.
5. Fuel your brain with new material. Your brain needs new input to create new ideas, insights and solutions so give it new fuel. Try reading different kinds of books or talking to people outside your industry. Take a new class or learn a new skill. Watch movies, go to the theater or spend some time exposing yourself to art. You want to start creating new grooves in your brain.
6. Commit to risk. Change can feel or actually be risky. What if you change some aspect of your business and it doesn’t work? You may lose money. What if you try a new skill and you fail? You may have wasted precious time. However, choosing not to take a risk keeps you where you are now and doesn’t promote growth.
If you really want to make new strides next year, you basically need three things; awareness, decisiveness and commitment to action. You must become aware of what you want, decide what you are going to do to get it and then take the action on that to which you’ve committed. Follow these three steps and next year at this time, you may not recognize your business. And that will be a good thing!
I love to hear your voice!
What would make next year the best year ever for you?
Post your answers below in the comments or find me on Facebook.
If you would like to use this article on your website or ezine, feel free! Just be sure to include the following:
Heather Poduska is a brand strategist, business coach and opera singer who helps entrepreneurs and small business owners create client attractive brands, polished brand images and brand communication strategies to increase their visibility and impact in the marketplace and grow their businesses.
Speak Your Mind