Happy New Year! Now that the horns have stopped bleating and we are recovering from our food and socializing hangovers, it is time to step back into our businesses with a renewed vigor and sense of purpose. Whether you are a resolution maker by habit or happenstance, you can take some tips for making resolutions for your business as well.
Resolution #1 – I will PLAN
Yes, resolve to create (or update, for those overachievers among us) a real, honest to goodness written plan. The ‘Plan your work; work your plan’ crowd is saying I told you so right about now. Rather than being a time waster, a plan can help us save time, and maybe just as important, save money by giving us a context against which to assess the relevance of our actions in our business.
Resolution #2 – I will ORGANIZE
Being organized for many of us can present a challenge. Unfortunately, without organization, we can easily become mired in non-productive activities that help time slip through our fingers. We wind up being very busy, but at the end of the day reflection, realize we have accomplished very little. Resolve to get control of your time wasters, including lack of organization. See some of our tips in this and previous newsletters, to help you become better organized in your business.
Resolution #3 – I will INVEST
How many of us know people that join a networking group then complain that they get nothing out of it? When we ask them for more information, they admit they go to a few meetings, but never take the time or effort to really find out – invest their time – in the members. Networking, marketing, business development, whatever you are doing to build your business requires investment – investment of time, effort and/or resources. Remember, growing your business is about developing relationships. Growing and developing relationships takes investment, skin in the game.
Resolution #4 – I will be POSITIVE
How draining is it to be around people who are always negative? It requires so much more effort. Now I am not saying you have to be Happy Harry or Cheerful Cheryl with rose colored glasses. At some point, we all don lenses of realism, optimism or pessimism, given whatever situation we find ourselves facing. Given the alternative, I would rather be around positive, upbeat people and the way to do that is to be positive and upbeat myself.
Resolution #5 – I will be ACCOUNTABLE
We all know someone who seems to blame all of their ill fortunes on someone or something else. It could be the economy, their staff, customers who don’t call back, whatever. The one person or thing they never seem to get around to is themselves. For 2011, take the initiative to determine what you are accountable for in your business success. Be brutally honest in your assessment and take responsibility for your failures, for in these failures lay the seeds to your future success.
By starting 2011 with concrete business resolutions, we can lay the foundation for a successful year.
