Regroup, Refocus – 5 Tips to Tackling the New Year
Posted in Business, Self Development
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Here we are at the beginning of another new year. Are you feeling disappointed or less than satisfied about last year’s accomplishments? The beauty of starting a new year is having a clean slate and a renewed motivation. But, what if you’re having trouble finding that motivation?
Here are five tips to help you tackle 2012 with the gusto it deserves.
Recount.
Look back at your goals from 2011. What did you live up to, what didn’t you? Sure, there may be some goals you had set that you didn’t reach, but there are many that you did. Big or small, count your successes from the past year. What obstacles did you overcome? How did you improve? What did you learn? Focusing on the positive rather than the negative can help reinvigorate you.
Tie Up Loose Ends.
Maybe one of the reasons you are feeling less than satisfied about 2011 is the loose ends that you haven’t yet tied up. If you still have unfinished projects or potential deals you’ve left hanging, it can create a sense of unsettlement in your business life. Go through your e-mail inbox and your abandoned to-do lists. Tie up the loose ends that you’ve been putting off. Or, if they’re big projects, put a plan in motion to do so. This will not only make you feel better about the past, but give you new ambition for the future. Cleaning up 2011 will help you focus on 2012.
Set Goals.
If you haven’t formally outlined your business or marketing plan for 2012, it’s not too late. Thinking through your goals and actually getting them down on paper will get you excited about new possibilities. Writing them down makes them more tangible and it’s much easier to hold yourself accountable this way. This means you’re more likely to accomplish what you set out to. You can’t be totally motivated for 2012 unless you have a plan.
Reconnect.
Are there people who inspire you that you’ve lost touch with? Are there business partners that you haven’t worked with for a while that lift you up? Are there forums that you find beneficial but haven’t visited recently? Reconnect with them. There are naturally people in your life that provide a special pick-me-up, and chances are you can think of them without too much effort. Reach out and make sure you are surrounding yourself with other motivated individuals.
Purge.
Clean out your e-mail, your voicemail, back up old computer files, etc. Don’t let irrelevant clutter cloud your vision for 2012. Wipe the slate as clean as you can. This will help your year get off to a fresh start. If you’re like me and keep a handwritten to-do list, something as simple as a new notebook can set you in the right direction. You can still copy over some of your ‘left over’ to-do items, but don’t copy over chaos. Tidy it up and reorganize your thoughts.
Wishing you a prosperous and successful 2012!
Dawn Berryman is the founder of MarketMommy.com and Market Mommy:: The Blog, online marketing resources for mom entrepreneurs. Market Mommy shows moms how and where to market their businesses. She holds a B.A. from Indiana University and has worked in the marketing/communications field for more than 8 years. She resides in rural Ohio with her husband and two young children. For more information, please see: Market Mommy.
This content is sponsored by the MSN Year in Review Blogger Program. Come tell us your most memorable moment of 2011 for a chance to win the MSN Year in Review Sweepstakes.
Tie up loose ends! Why hadn’t I thought of that one? Great tips. I also really like purge idea. I need to get working on all these tips. This could be my resolution list. ;)
I love the purge idea too! Why didn’t I do that already? I know it would make me feel a lot more confident about the new year.