While resolutions are the way many like to start the new year off right, I am and always will be a strategist. When it comes to successfully executing on a goal, you need a plan— not an unrealistic statement with no guiding steps to reach it.
For this year, I want to ensure we’re all maintaining our goals and not losing sight of them after the first quarter. Do you want to be more profitable? Do you want to grow? Do you want to see more success? Then follow my 10 Steps to a More Successful 2019!
1- Set Attainable Goals
When we set unrealistic goals, we set ourselves up for failure. Don’t walk into the new year claiming you’re going to increase sales by 80% or take on 100 new clients, because chances are— you won’t. But, incremental growth is growth all the same. Set micro, monthly or biweekly goals you’d like to hit and track your success over the year. You’ll be surprised by how much you improved.
2- Hold Yourself Accountable
Don’t just speak to hear your own voice. If you say you’re going to do something, do it. Nothing breaks the habit of speaking larger than you can provide than holding yourself accountable for everything you promise. Plus— your team, clients and colleagues will all respect you more if they can always count on you keeping your word.
3- Be Confident
While the phrase “fake it ‘til you make it” may be outdated, it still holds a lot of truth. You shouldn’t ever speak out of your depth, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start things like meetings, new business relationships, proposals or speeches with confidence. Chances are you know more than you think but you’re holding yourself back by not SELLING IT. Be strong and don’t doubt your knowledge— more will come to you this year if you do.
4- Adapt and Evolve
Sometimes when we’ve been doing something one way for a long period of time, it’s difficult to acknowledge things have changed. Don’t be a luddite— all things change and evolve, and as should your attitude with them.
5- Get Your House in Order
All the processes you’ve been avoiding updating and any filing cabinets you need digitized— now is the time. Get organized and work on building written processes for all the variables in your business. If someone new started today, would you have the necessary materials to give them to get started without guidance? You should. While it can be a large undertaking, you’ll see the positive effect it has on operations almost instantly.
6- Find Your Peace
While we’d all like to be able to work endlessly without getting brain drain— it’s not possible. You need a place or activity that, once at that place or doing that thing, you completely remove yourself— body and mind— from your work. Believe it or not, this break will only make you more focused and productive.
7- Be Prepared
While skill and effort play a big part in achieving success, preparation is paramount. As professionals, it can be extremely hard to find time before meetings, talks or even when writing emails to stop and prepare our thoughts. Doing so, however, makes a huge difference in the value we’re able to communicate. Make it a practice, even if you only have a minute, to jot down your key points before getting started on what’s at hand.
8- Resolve ONE Bad Habit
Yes, it would be great to sleep more, eat perfect and exercise daily— but year after year people make the same resolution and rarely follow through. In the vein of setting attainable goals, instead— try quitting one bad habit. Whether that’s something like your 10th cup of coffee a day or buying less lunches out, take it one habit at a time.
9- Learn Something New
Replace your lost bad habit with a new skill— work related or otherwise. You could train yourself on a software used by your team to make yourself more available to assist, or finally learn how to do that headstand. It’s your year, your call. Either way, taking time to build your skill set will only benefit you and help increase your confidence as discussed in pt. 3.
10- Don’t Take Yourself Too Serious
Yes, you need to be serious about your business, your clients, the work you do and the quality you provide— I’m not suggesting otherwise. What I mean to say is never lose your head if it all appears to be going not how you planned. Chances are your perspective is off due to your own bias and the situation can be resolved; there’s always something that can be done and being irrational or upset won’t help anything get done. Are you in immediate danger? How about your family? Anything on fire? Ok— then I think we’ll get through it. keep a level head this year and more success will come.
As we begin 2019, what’s your strategy for success? What bad habit will you drop or what new skill will you try to learn? Or are you sticking to your resolution?
by Kelly Spencer
