I’m not a huge fan of new year resolutions. While I think this time of year is a great time to reflect and prepare for what’s next, I feel resolutions are over-rated. Instead, I like to think about themes for the year, and set goals around those themes.
For 2017, my business theme was “grow.” I didn’t really do much of that this year, though. Unfortunately, I got bogged down and got off track. While I don’t see the year as a failure, it wasn’t as successful as I would have liked.
So I’m going to try again this year, by using that theme for my business. I’ll probably use it for other areas of my life as well.
Setting a Business Theme for the New Year
Deciding what theme to choose for the year depends on where you’re at with your business. Your business theme should reflect where you want to go, and what you hope to do.
Think about what might be missing from your business, and how you can improve matters. What theme would help you move your business forward most effectively?
You can also think about your north star goal for your business. Is there an overall theme that would help you reach that? Creating small goals to help you stay in line with your theme can help you stay on top of things — and even improve.
Do You Need a Year-Long Business Theme?
Of course, one of the reasons I find resolutions annoying is because they are so arbitrary. Even choosing a theme for the year can be arbitrary. After all, what about constant improvement?
You can always be setting new goals for your business, no matter the time of year. The same is true of themes. Maybe you focus on one theme for a quarter and then switch to another theme for subsequent quarters. Maybe, instead of following the calendar year, you follow your fiscal year (which might be different).
The reality is that setting a business theme and making new year’s resolutions are about the same thing: progress.
It doesn’t matter when you set your goals, or how you work to achieve them, or if you have a long-term plan, such as a five-year plan or a 10-year plan. The idea is to think about what you hope to achieve for your business and work out a way to make it happen.
What Do You Want Out of Life?
Don’t forget to think about what you want out of life as well. If you are running a business, there’s a good chance that it’s part of your life. Make it a point to figure out how your business fits in — without letting it overtake your life.
Even if you don’t completely set yearly goals or have a theme, the reality is that now is a great time to make some changes. If you don’t want to stagnate, take those first steps for something new now. You might be surprised at how much it helps you in your business and in your personal life.
