By now I’m sure you’ve been bombarded with all sorts of info about making resolutions, not making resolutions, setting SMART Goals, forgetting SMART goals, choosing a word for the year, skipping the word… it’s all a bit confusing!
Well I’m here to tell you that you’re no different today than you were on Dec 31st!
The reality is that same things that were holding you back last year are still holding you back this year. And it’s up to you to do something about it.
If you really want to have sustainable change, you need to deal with YOU. Go into your new year with your eyes wide open. Pay attention to the things that consistently trip you up and figure out how to better deal with them.
For example, if you tend to procrastinate, take a look at why you procrastinate. What is it about the task that makes you set it aside? Then look at what you’re going to do about that. Let’s say you put off returning phone calls or even answering the phone. That not only wastes tons of time, but it also costs you business. You could consider spending the next couple of weeks intentionally answering the phone and returning calls within 24 hours. Do this for a long enough time and you’ll see the significant, sustainable results that a small change in your behavior can trigger.
If you tend to feel overwhelmed with the immensity of a project, figure out what it is about a big project that makes you want to bury your head in the sand. Then figure out what you’re going to do about it. Perhaps you could break the project down into manageable bites and eat one of them! Get that first task off your plate and color it done. Then move on to the next one and the next one… Again, introducing that small behavioral change can result in a massive shift for you and your business.
Do you tend to take on WAY too much, then wonder why you cannot seem to get anything done or have any time for yourself? What is it about saying no to something that is so hard? What can you do to make it easier? Maybe it’s time to hire that VA to help you. Maybe it’s time to say no to something that is draining you rather than filling you up. Maybe it’s time for a reality check, time to ask yourself if being spread so thinly really makes any sense. As an entrepreneur, it is absolutely critical to your success to be very selective about where you spend your time and energy.
Seek out coaching our counselling, as appropriate, and get to work on the things that are holding you back. Then, once you’ve made progress on what’s holding you back, set your goals and go to work on achieving them.
Here’s a personal success story: I set a goal to lose a pants size between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Not exactly the best time to set a goal like that! But I was ready to do it. I’d equipped myself with what I needed to stay focused and on track. I had an awesome accountability partner and, dang if I didn’t do it! Because I stuck to my plan, I’m set up to sustain the success with some new habits and lifestyle changes. There was nothing easy about doing it, but it was definitely worth the effort.
That success is the first slip of paper in my Cool Stuff Jar for 2015. So now I’m kicking off my Best Year Ever!
