How to Turn New Year’s Resolutions into Achievable Goals

It’s a new year, full of new possibilities and we want to make sure you’re starting this year off on the right foot! The new year is often accompanied by resolutions – promises that you make to yourself to start doing something good or stopping bad habits in the coming year. But resolutions can often be empty, daunting ideas that ultimately weigh you down by making you feel guilty for not accomplishing a goal. So, how do you turn those resolutions into achievable goals for your business? It’s all about breaking them down into specific goals, committing, taking action, and leaving room to celebrate even the smallest of wins.

Reflect on the Past Year

We can’t know where we’re going if we don’t know where we’ve been. Schedule in some time this month to think back on the past year to see where there is room for improvement. If you don’t know where to start, here are some prompts to ponder that could spark some resolution ideas:

• What went right?
• What went wrong?
• What could you be doing better?
• What could you be doing more?
• What could you be doing less?
• What takes up most of your time?
• What do you hate doing?
• What do you love doing?

And be sure to write this all out! Get it all on paper (or in a Google Doc if you’re paperless!). It is much easier to organize your thoughts once they’re somewhere you can read them. It will also help you stay on track to reach your goals as you move through the year and serve as a good reference point as the months go on.

Be Realistic

Can you dream big while also staying grounded? We think so! It can be a challenging balancing act for sure, but we do know that you can’t achieve your dreams and goals in life without a realistic plan. So start there. For example, “get rich” isn’t precisely a definable goal. But taking the time to look at your profit growth over the past year and setting a percentage increase goal is something you can track your progress in. Will you become an Instagram influencer overnight? Probably not, but you can work towards a certain number of followers if you feel that is something that’s important to you and your business.

Think About What You Want

Goals, goals, goals! And more importantly, what is the desired outcome of these goals? What do you want to accomplish and why? Do you want to expand your team so you have more time to focus on what you love doing? Do you want to improve your social media presence to help drive business? Do you want to be more productive and spend less time on daunting tasks? The possibilities are truly endless, but you shouldn’t let that overwhelm you. There is plenty of time to accomplish all that you want to do so for now, just focus on a couple of key resolutions. Biting off more than we can chew is a common problem that often inhibits us from getting things done.

Outline Actions

Nothing happens without an action plan. Remember that list and/or Google Doc you started? It is your new best friend. You know what you want to achieve, but what are the steps to getting there? Layout how you want to achieve your new year’s resolution. Breaking larger goals into smaller, actionable ones is a surefire way to accomplish them. Do you need to take a class? Do you need to write a job posting? Do you need to create a content calendar for social media? Whatever your steps are, be sure to create a timeline for yourself to stop procrastinating. We know how difficult it can be to find time for business development when you’re a small business owner so while you should try to remain as diligent as possible, please remember to leave room to think about those larger, long term business objectives.

Celebrate Success

Okay, here’s our favorite one (obviously). Did you just land a new client? Did you receive a positive review? Did you reach a certain number of social media followers? Did you find the perfect fit for your small team? Whatever the success – big or small – celebrate it! Take a few minutes to relish the fact that you set goals and you are doing it. You’re putting in the work. You see the results. You’re doing the thing. That’s incredible. Let’s make 2020 your best year!

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