New Year Resolutions? Think Again

We all do it. We all sit down at some point on New Year’s Day, while the bubbles on the fizz are still popping, and resolve to do better, do more, weigh less, get that deal signed, push up the bottom line, hit those targets…

And yet, we all know that the enthusiasm for these usually fizzle out as fast as the midnight fireworks leaving us cold and slightly wistful if not downright regretful. So what could we do to make this year different, the year that we resolve and succeed? Or should we even bother to make resolutions?

After thirty years of being in business, I heave learned it’s not those New Year Resolutions that count, but the actions that we take to follow them up. It’s not about what we aim to do. After all, we should all be aiming to fulfil our dreams, right? Success lies at making those small changes, creating new habits that eventually build up to that new life we’re dreaming of.

Take those deals you want to win. Your New Year business resolution might be a simple one of increasing your turnover by winning more client contracts. You may even have put a number on that – four or five or fifteen, whatever your business needs. You’ve probably broken those down into smaller, monthly goals, and perhaps even into specific weekly tasks or team goals so that you can identify the steps you are taking to reach that goal That is all good, you’ve mapped out your route to success. (And if you haven’t, drop the team at Athena Services a line and we’ll be there to help you!)

But if you really want to make sure you stay on that path you’ve drawn up for yourself, you’ll have to make sure that you, and your business (team, staff, systems etc.) have taken those goals to heart, internalised them, focused on them so that they are part of your reality now. And to do that, you might need to create new habits – small changes that if you do them enough, become a part of daily life you barely notice until you and your top client are signing those deals. And to create changes in behaviour that become new habits, you need to understand the why behind the what – and so does your team.

Ask yourself why you want your business to go in the direction that you have resolved. Understand it fully. Is it because you really want to, because you know it’s right for you on every level, because it lights you up and drives you out of bed in the early hours just to get going, not because you have to but because you’re thirsting with enthusiasm? Or is it because you know you need to do this to keep ahead of the competition? Or was it someone else’s idea and you’re not all that sure? Be truthful to yourself and you will find the why.

And once you’ve found the why, the how will start to become obvious. You will start to see those small adjustments you might need to make to get to where you want to go. Perhaps you’ll start earlier each Monday morning and spend time in creative thinking over coffee with your team (much more productive than meetings!). It gets everyone moving in the same direction, it gels the team, bonds the individuals and gets ideas flowing. Or perhaps you’ll restart those networking sessions you have been avoiding. The chances are you’ll make all the right connections that will lead you to that deal.

Write it down. Not just the goals and figures and pie charts. But how you feel, what you’ve learned each day or week. A business journal can be as much a reflection on yourself as it is a way of tracking numbers. It will help you keep track of your progress of yourself as a person and as a business leader. Better than that, it will help you reflect on the obstacles you have found, what solutions might work and keep you focused on making that dream a reality.

Best of all, celebrate every success, even the small ones. They are all part of your roadmap to your business success. Success is not just the end goal, the achievement of a six-figure turnover or whatever you had in mind. The process is also a big part of success and since you are committing yourself to it all year long, you might as well enjoy all of it, even the late meetings and the tough conversations! Every celebration pushes those hard moments into oblivion where they belong (once you’ve taken your learning out of them, of course!).