New Year’s Day always seems like a time of reflection. We ask ourselves a lot of thought-provoking questions…
- How did things go over the past year?
- How can I make them better in the coming year?
- What do I want to do differently?
- Should my focus be on something different?
This is especially true for small business owners, as they are generally asking these questions of themselves twice — once about life in general, and another time regarding the growth of their business.
We formulate plans, plan some changes, change some aspects of our lives. Many people make “New Year’s Resolutions“…and many people set themselves up for failure. It’s in many ways like saying you’re “going on a diet.” A resolution, like a diet, implies there is an ending date–a time when you will no longer have to follow the rules of your choice. It’s temporary.
However, when you change your mindset and realize that you aren’t looking for a quick fix, but rather, a long-term solution, your whole perspective changes. Adopting a healthy eating plan is so much more powerful (and positive) than saying you’re going on a diet. You realize that it will take time and accept the fact that this isn’t just a temporary measure. You accept the fact that there is room for moderation within the perimeters that you have set for yourself–not what some weight-loss book dictates. It puts you in control! And, after all, isn’t that part of the reason that you own your own business–because you want to be in control of your life?
On this first day of 2011, I would like to challenge you to make goals instead of resolutions. Make them reasonable to set yourself up for success. For example, don’t make a goal to blog every day if you know you’ve only been able to post 5 times in the previous year–that sets yourself up for failure! Instead, make it your goal to blog at least once a week. You can always increase your frequency if you find that you’re achieving this goal and want to push yourself more. This way of thinking sets you up for success! Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t push yourself–that’s the only way to get ahead in your business. I’m just saying that you should be realistic.
Today is 1/1/11 — even the calendar is telling us that it’s time for a fresh start. Have you thought about your business goals for 2011? What areas do you need to work on this year? How will you formulate your goals into positives instead of negatives? What is your plan for achieving your goals? I would love to hear about your goals! Please post a comment, if you’d like to share! And if I can help in any way, please let me know!
