New Year Momentum Checklist to Keep Going Strong
You can harness the New Year momentum to accomplish some big goals. But, if you're like most people, you could be losing sight of those goals in the busyness of life.
Less than two weeks into 2018, and we’re already starting to slip. We’ve skipped those crucial gym days, ran around that drive-thru between our busy schedule and are already totally immersed in the hustle of everyday life. Stop. Take 5 minutes and be reminded with this 5-point checklist on how to keep your New Year momentum in full throttle. WorkLodge is proud of you, our Members. You remind us that what we’re doing here is really changing lives. More than ever before, your opportunity for success is right at your fingertips. Your goals are important because what you’re doing is important. If you’re setting SMART goals with accountability, proper resources and adequate timelines, you CAN and WILL achieve your business objectives for 2018. Remain passionate as business owners and entrepreneurs. Take a mental note (or Post-It notes) and write these 5 points points for keeping your New Years momentum:
1. Start giving now.
As business owners, we understand the benefit in giving to tax-deductible charities, ministries and other non-profit organizations. But why do so many of us wait ‘til Q4 to start being generous? Consider rethinking your business priorities and building in a budget for philanthropic efforts. Although we’re a little biased with The Gabriel Foundation, find something you can support and be generous toward. We build children’s homes and support local anti-human trafficking & hunger causes. You may do something else. Whatever it is, do something.
2. Streamline with great tools.
Small businesses are notorious for having scalability struggles. We rarely find an opportunity to grow our businesses without a little setback, strife or uncertainty. To help you expand your business, better serve clients or simply streamline your operations, invest in some much needed tools, many of them FREE. CRM, phone apps and online services provide an endless stack of tools. Make a list of where your bottlenecks and inefficiencies are, and make it a priority to improve the quality of your business by configuring the right toolbox for you. HERE is a great article by Nerd Wallet with 25 apps that might be the right starting place for you and your business to slim down your busy work and increase your productivity.
3. Set micro goals.
Objectives like “growing your business” or “raising revenue” are passive, useless goals in the fast-paced world we live in. Your business needs both, but they should be the results, or outcome, of the goals you set for 2018. To help, set micro goals that range from 1-3 months in duration with clear, defined responsibilities, expectations and metrics.
4. Seek knowledge daily.
Most New Year’s Resolutions are halted by an entrepreneur’s worst nightmare. Complacency. It’s unfortunate how easy it is for us to become complacent, or relaxed, with the status quo. Don’t be. You got to where you are because you stepped out of the ordinary to do something extraordinary so keep growing your skills. A good leader is a good student. Each day find a way to keep your cognitive cylinders firing. Find a motivational podcast, a list of short ebooks or go “old school” and commit to reading a stack of timeless hardback books through the calendar year. HERE is an extensive list of 76 (and counting) books for entrepreneurs in 2018. Whatever your cup of tea is, make sure you’re learning daily, keeping your skills sharp and your creativity unleashed.
5. Shake hands with your neighbors.
Next door, down the hall or around the corner, our communities are meant for sharing. Introduce yourself, shake hands and trade a few industry secrets. You’ll never believe how much wisdom you can apply to your business when swapping success stories with an entrepreneur in a completely unrelated market.
What separates WorkLodge from its competitors is how we prioritize people and because of that, we attract GREAT people. Getting to know them a little better just makes sense.
We’re confident that 2018 will be the BEST YEAR YET for so many of our Members. In your work-life balance, in client relationships, in team and revenue growth–we want you to have it all. Reaching your goals might not come easy, but when the right strategy and discipline is positioned, success will continue to show up at your doorstep. We thank all our Members for doing business with us in 2018, and we welcome more Members and more opportunities to change lives in the months ahead. Keep up the New Year momentum, we’re cheering you on.
Be Amazing!
#TeamWorkLodge
