New year resolutions – still on track…?!?

Every year again… December has just passed and we made plans for the year to come. Plans for ourselves, goals for our businesses, new ideas and new inspiration – everything seems to be so fresh. We are in the position to start all over again. A new counting has begun. This as such is hugely motivating, isn’t it?

And of course there are the typical, more critical thoughts: Will we be able to perform on the same level again? Will we be able to realize growth? Will we be able to stick to our plans and forecasts? Will we be able to tackle our challenges? Will we be able to find the right people for our team? And so on…

“This time of the year we typically are
in reflection and planning mode.”

Reflection is a good thing, We should do it more often, but mostly we are simply too busy to take the time for it. Inner peace and quietness is needed to be able to do so. The biggest chance to achieve a bit of this is around Christmas and New Year. Many people take vacation. Clients as well as employees are busy with family and friends and business slows down for a week or two. That’s the moment to try and look at the world from a remote perspective. Take a step back and try to look at the bigger picture – put things into perspective again… The different point of view leads us to new ideas and a different approach of our challenges. We are able to recognize market developments, possible pitfalls as well as new chances and possibilities. We can make up our minds about how to deal with them and set up a business or team strategy accordingly.

Soon enough the crazy business weeks rush by again and there is no chance to reflect anymore. We get drawn back into the mode of reaction rather than consequently act according to our plans and resolutions. A typical pattern.

“So what are plans and resolutions good for, if we know beforehand that we won’t fully be able to consequently focus and implement them?”

Well, there are a few things to say about this: Firstly, reflection and making plans has never harmed any business. Looking at the world from another point of view is a good and useful exercise – for everyone. It frees the mind of people and leads them to new insights. Secondly, if we don’t make plans and aim for change, if we only keep doing what we have always been doing, we will never have the change to further develop and grow. And, last but not least, making plans and setting goals by writing them down and communicating them lets them become real and concrete. Even if we might be distracted soon by daily challenges and ongoing business, a notion of our plans keep being present in our subconsciousness…

Believe it or not – it makes a difference. Having expressed plans or goals in a way puts them on another awareness level. It is not necessarily about officially communicating them – even putting some thoughts on paper for ourselves has impact on us.

Give it a try! Write down what you reflected on and make a list of goals you set for yourself or your business. Don’t force you to do something with them immediately, but be aware of them during the year. You will experience a number of moments that you are being reminded of them – triggered by an article you read, a person telling you something, a documentary you watch on TV or else. It will come to your mind from time to time quite naturally, which typically is enough to draw your attention and action more and more into that direction. See what happens…! Maybe the time of unreachable new year resolutions that are quit on a week into January again is over!

P.S.: You can also apply this by influencing the awareness of your team members to certain goals…