As the New Year begins and the dust begins to settle, whether consciously or by design, we each look inward and reflect on the 12 months ahead. Reminisce about the 12 months long gone filled with joy and merriment and some sadness at the losses it brought.
Resolutions are easy to make. Very easy!
Traditionally we list a variety of affirmations adorned with timelines to kick us into high gear for another awesome year. The truth is most resolutions encircle health, wealth and happiness (maybe not in that precise order) and are broken before Valentine’s Day. It’s human nature to lose focus when we get too busy. So in honour of the many resolutions which never made it past a week, let us be realistic and set small goals to help grow our business financial health, increase its wealth and bring lots of happiness to employees and customers alike in the process. One small step at a time. Here’s my little guide!
1. Plan for success (and failure). Sounds a little out of the box but it is exactly as stated. Not all plans will work so a back up plan is key to keep not only the team motivated but your clients on your side. Having a yearly plan is great but make small achievable goals which will add value and get you to that major goal easily.
2. Do some charity work. The season for giving is not only in Christmas although more opportunities arise during this period. However, building your company’s reputation and goodwill could be as simple as joining a networking group, giving back to your high school or even starting a small social campaign with your teammates to drive awareness for the cause and your company to spread joy. Mentoring is also a great initiative anyone can do https://www.facebook.com/events/1205957672792852/
3. Retrain your brain. Growing your business also means allowing your employees to grow. Check out short courses, retreats or any meaningful online exercises which can help build the team dynamic and encourage independent thought for a new and energised work force.
4. Me time is a must! In every business, there is an inherent need to work longer hours than contracted depending on the situation and some times, this is a necessary situation (especially for self owned businesses). However, as machines need to be serviced regularly and may break down if overused, so too will a human being. Downtime is needed to refocus, recharge and help you perform at a primal level. Carve out some ME time even in the middle of the day.
5. Multitask less. Sounds like a contradiction to popular thought but multitasking can drain resources and produce poor results if not done efficiently. Instead, delegate work evenly and multitask when really pressed to drive efficiency and increase productivity.