I see January as a transition time. January comes from ianua, the Latin word for door. (Thank you internet!) Doors are gateways. You can close them. You can open them. You can even kick them down if that’s your thang.
For both my business and my personal life, I use this time to close the door on the previous year and open the door to the new year. While other people might be racing into 2018 business goals, I pause and review 2017 so I can better define where I want it to go in the year ahead. This starts with a year-end review. I pull out Google cal and my planner where I can easily see what goals I set for myself and where the results netted out.
This is a good point for the reminder that you are more than just your results. Whether you landed that big assignment or doubled your billings, it really doesn’t matter. What matters now is that you take an honest look at what DID happen. What are you most proud of? What frustrated you? What were your top 3 accomplishments? What were your 3 biggest disappointments?
This is great data. Look at it. Whatever it is, give yourself a pat on the back. It’s done.
So, now what?
Give yourself a moment to dream. Think about what matters to you and your company. If the vision you hold for your company doesn’t make you want to jump out of bed in the morning, it won’t be good for your business in the long run either.
Look at more than just the bottom line. What are the sources of your revenue? What’s your reputation? What do you want your clients/customers to say about their experiences? How can you and your team live up to your company’s mission? What contributions can you make to the community? What do you want to influence in the world?
Where do you want to focus your energy in the year ahead? What return do you want on that energy? What areas call for assistance? Who else is supporting your vision?
When it’s this time next year, what do you want to celebrate?
Hint: This is not the time to think about the hows. Right now it’s just about the vision. It’s not about the plan to get there. The planning part comes soon enough. This is the time to look at where you want to be.
When it’s time to envision, it’s not just about the tangible business objectives. It’s also about the ways in which your company will evolve on the road to those wins. Creative leaders expect diversions and setbacks along the way so build those into your vision. You never know which will turn out to be happy accidents.
Why not set the dream bar high enough so that we are forced to disrupt ourselves, our teams, and our businesses into the next level? If we don’t disrupt ourselves, who will?
Well, it’s actually kind of my job to disrupt you and make you think! If you believe you could benefit from strategy sessions (which include a wholistic overview of your business, assistance in refreshing your mindset, clarifying the results you desire, and a plan to get you started) get in touch! I’m here for you.