216: Starting the Year Well
216: Starting the Year Well
with Michele Williams
Usually, we talk about ending a year well. What could it look like to start the year well? Hang with me as we consider what could make our year begin well.
Topics Mentioned:
Intention
Ease
Profitable
Listen to the Episode
Hello and welcome to the new year!
To be honest, sometimes I am caught in the tension of wanting the new year to begin and knowing that the new year is beginning. This may sound weird to some of you, but I usually look forward to the wrap-up of the current year and the excitement that the new year brings – but at the same time – an acknowledgment of all the work before me that I have laid out in my strategy and goal setting.
And this can be overwhelming before I start!
To begin my year well here are some of the things I do. As you listen, think of what you do to create an intentional great year.
1. I think about the end of this coming year. Where do I want to be? Who do I want to be with? What do I want to be doing? Then I reverse engineer any milestones I need to meet. This exercise helps me set my goals in a big way but also relaxes me to know I have a year to work towards it.
2. Ask what can be removed. I am quick to add to my to-do list or goal set, but not as quick to remove. Just being cognizant of adding to take away is important. I heard from an organizer one time that for every piece of new clothing she put into her closet, she removed a piece she was not wearing. It is that same mindset that will serve us well in business.
3. Focus on one quarter at a time. If I think through an entire year all the time, it can be draining and overwhelming. I like to think in 3-month increments. You may be familiar with the book, “The 12 Week Year” by Brian Moran and Michael Lennington. Or “Traction” by Gino Wickman. Both of these work in smaller increments than a full year.
4. Assess who is on this journey with me. Recognizing that many of us are not able to build a business and serve our clients at the same time while working alone – knowing the help we need to be successful is important. To begin my year well, I need a team that is supportive, driven, and who takes pride in their work. Always reviewing this and making sure we are brining in the talent to get the job done creates a calmness. Not every job needs a full time person. Your team could be comprised of full time, part time and contract employees. Just having the right people on the team makes all the difference.
5. Reviewing my foundation. Who are we as a company? What do we do? Who do we serve? What are the values we hold and implement in our company? What are we most skilled to do? These few questions when answered honestly and kept in front of us can help clear a path through a forest in record time. Not knowing these answers is like being in the thick of a forest with no compass, map or orientation of where you are or where you are going.
6. Create space. I am in need of space. Space to think. Space to connect. Space to work. Space to design. Maybe you are in need of that too. The truth is – we all need some space. But this space does not magically appear without us putting it on our calendar. For me, it is one week a month that is not client facing. This week is focused on building my business so that I can serve my clients better. Without this I am putting myself and my business in a fight or flight mode all the time. You can tell that you need space if you always feel “behind the eight ball” or “reactive instead of proactive,” or “always putting out fires.” These phrases we use tell us we need some margin of time in our schedule. Build it in – then hold to it as best you can.
7. Be easy on yourself. As owners of the firm, we tend to take on a lot – and we should. We own the thing. But at the same time, we need to know when to give ourselves a break mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. You and I are still learning, each and every day.
8. Make space to play and to learn. We are going to make mistakes and so are our team members. Consider how you can create a company this year that focuses on a clear goal but that has fun in the process. While we can’t make light of everything, we also cannot make every issue a major one. Find time to laugh and play with your team so that coming to work is fun.
I hope these things encouraged you to consider how you are starting your year. I would love to hear what you do to create a fun, exciting, productive work plan for a new year. Email me and share.
One thing I also do is determine who is my support team for the year. I would love to be part of a support team for you and your business. Either through coaching with Scarlet Thread Consulting or through financial tools that we have in Metrique Solutions. Either way, assisting you in creating a profitable and productive company is what we excel at. Check out our offering as www.ScarletThreadConsulting.com or www.MetriqueSolutions.com. And as you plan your year, plan to be profitable. Because we all know, profit doesn’t happen by accident.
Key Thoughts:
To be honest, sometimes I really get caught in the tension of wanting to start the new year, but at the same time, not really wanting it to come, usually, because I'm looking ahead, and I'm taking it all in. And all I can think about is all the things that I need to do, the big goals that I want to achieve, the strategy that I've set. I'm excited, and I am almost afraid or fearful of the time it's going to take, the effort it's going to take, and what's going to happen. Michele (0:58)
I am trying to get into a really good habit that if I add something new, I take something away. Michele (2:45)
Number three is to focus on one quarter at a time, again, not on the entire year, but on a small subset. Michele (3:44)
The seventh thing that I'm going to try to do this year is to really be easy on myself, as an owner of a firm, we carry a lot of weight, a lot of responsibility, we're making a lot of decisions. And so that just carries such a weight that we almost feel like we can't make a mistake or a misstep. Michele (8:12)
Contact Michele:
Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting
Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL
References and Resources:
Traction by Gino Wickman
12-Week Year by Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington