new /no͞o/
adjective: new; comparative adjective: newer; superlative adjective: newest
not existing before; made, introduced, or discovered recently or now for the first time.
already existing but seen, experienced, or acquired recently or now for the first time.
Well, folks, 2023 is here and it's time for resolutions and opportunity to take us to new heights - welcome to our newest opportunity for a "fresh" start!
There are a lot of thoughts online and within the social landscape in terms of how people feel about "New Year, New Me", resolutions and the like. It has a vibe of it's own! I don't feel any kind of way toward the movement and tend to support people in their decisions to better themselves in whatever way makes sense for them. ...Further to that, I believe we wake up NEW each day - we're never the same person for two days in a row ... So ..
Do: "New Year, New Me" .. or don't!
Make New Years resolutions, or don't!
It's all good, whatever you choose to do, because it's all about you. You're the star of your life!
All that said, I don't set resolutions, but rather, I make a mindful effort to embrace the "new feeling" that comes with the last page of the calendar flipping. I embrace the moment to see the year through the lenses of the four earthly seasons we're about to experience, and I think about the abundance that's ahead. My strategic mind LOVES the New Year because there are so many ebbs and flows within business that allow us to break into new ways of thinking or behaving, and supporting our clients in their goals and objectives.
This is Helios' sixth year in business and I'm excited for the upcoming year. We continue to mature and grow, experiencing conflict and the pains that come with being a start up, we're encountering the pandemic hang over, and staring down the barrel of a shaky economy. It can be scary and very hard sometimes, and yet, we persevere and continue to provide top shelf services and support to our clients. Even when it's hard, we continue to show up for ourselves and one another. To make our dreams a reality, we're moving into the space of setting bigger, more strategic business goals, seeking new clients and being more intentional with the structure we apply inside of the company.
We can't just TALK about good business, we have to BE about good business.
Company culture is hard. It takes years to build and only a fraction of time to destroy; being honest with ourselves in what we can achieve and how we choose to achieve it is just as important.
Creating healthy habits and culture take similar shape as you open Pandora's Box, here are some of my top tips:
Business Focus
Set realistic business goals - check in on them every quarter to celebrate or course correct as needed.
Be strategic with your focus - what's attainable? What will take your business or team to the next level? What are the corporate goals and objectives? Can your team relate their work to them?
Be intentional with your team relationships - have good boundaries and make it okay to have constructive conflict. Make it okay to leave conflict when it's too much, but don't avoid solving hard problems.
Be innovative with your solutions - find ways to automate processes to make them easier to comply with or remove bottle necks or human error
Manage your time - give yourself think time, work time and collaboration time. If your day is chewed up by meetings or a lack of discipline to get things done, you won't progress on your goals.
Eat the frog - don't let the day run you, run the day! Do the tasks that are mentally draining or tedious first to feel accomplished.
Personal Focus
Define personal goals or dreams you want to make a reality - take the time to sit with yourself and think about the things you want in life - create the plan in backwards motion to identify the steps to get there.
Don't try to do everything at once - small, incremental changes are easier to handle. Create small goals and SMASH them to build consistency and confidence!
Write things down - make notes and follow up with yourself to make sure you're achieving your goals.
Make mindset a priority - scroll social media for 30 minutes or take note of your thoughts - one is definitely more productive than the other.
Celebrate your success - did you hit or exceed your incremental goals for the week? Take the time to pat yourself on the back and share with someone (share with me - I love celebrating! )
Take time to learn - lifelong learning is something I'm passionate about. No time or budget for a certification or continuing education course? No problem - there are TONS of free resources available on LinkedIn alone - someone is ALWAYS hosting a free webinar - get in on that!
Want to talk about your company or team's 2023 goals? Want to chat about how to stay consistent with your resolutions? Need support in figuring your strategy out? Reach out, a call doesn't cost a thing!