10 Things We (Entrepreneurs) Do at the Beginning of The Year
As we say goodbye to 2017 and usher in a new year filled with endless opportunities, here are 9 tips from our Global Entrepreneurs in Residence (GEiRs), Colin Daniels and Masha Zvereva, on what you should do in order to make this your best year yet.
1. Set the tone
In Russia we have a saying “The way you celebrate New Year’s is how you’re going to spend it” – and having been brought up with this concept, I truly believe it. I think it’s a great way to set the tone to what next year is going to look like, so I make sure so clean my home, have a nice meal and spend it with the people I love.
But it doesn’t stop just there for me. I’ve heard of another crazy theory that the way you spend the first 12 days of January is how you’re going to spend the next 12 months: 01.01 for the month of January, 01.02 for February and so on. And while I don’t believe that, I think that if you make a conscious effort to spend these days the way you’d like to spend the next few months, it’s an amazing way to start your year right! And this way, by committing to your new lifestyle, you’ll be done with almost 2/3 of the time it takes to form a new habit (they say it takes around 21 days to do that).
2. Reflect
Entrepreneurs are often too focused on the future. While this is usually an important survival mechanism and a crucial part of moving your business forward, it’s also important to take some time to reflect on what you’ve accomplished in the previous year so that you know what you hit out the park and what can be improved on in the coming year.
3. Clean slate
“New Year, New You” – it may sound almost corny, but I like to start a new year from a clean state, it’s my way of rebooting. Clear your cache and free up more memory for creativity and new projects.
4. Set goals
This is pretty standard and it should go without saying: you need to map out where you’d like to be in a year’s time. A year is long-term enough to be ambitious, but short-term enough to still be realistic. And for entrepreneurs it’s super important to set business and personal goals. If they can be quantified – even better! Can you imagine looking back at those ambitious numbers at the end of the year and seeing that you’ve achieved even more?
Goals and targets are important in keeping you motivated and focused. They also serve as reference points for reflecting on your achievements. You should try set yourself both personal and business goals that are challenging yet achievable. The last thing you want to do is set yourself up for failure!
5. Plan
As the famous saying goes, “a goal without a plan is just a wish”. Create a plan for the year ahead that aligns to your goals and go over it frequently to make sure that you are on track. You can use whatever medium and format works best for you such as a todo list, spreadsheet, calendar, Gantt chart etc. Many people find it better to plan in quarters rather than months as this allows more flexibility and is easier to stay focused.
6. Get going
Now that the goal setting and planning is out of the way, it’s time to get stuck in! Use your plan to guide you on the work that needs to be done and the milestones and deadlines that need to be met and try stick to them, otherwise your entire plan will be in vain.
7. Share your New Year’s resolution with someone who will hold you accountable
It’s one thing to come up with a New Year’s resolution, but it’s another to actually follow through. And if you tell someone who pushes you to be better, that would mean that you’re more likely to stick to your word. This is one of those rare cases where peer pressure can be a good thing.
8. Letter to future self
This is a fun one that I’ve heard about recently: write a letter addressing yourself, talking about all of those things that you’d like to achieve in a year’s time as if you’ve already achieved them. Be as descriptive as you’d like and don’t limit yourself to just career goals, include personal life and growth as well. Seal it and put it away. Open in a year to see if your predictions have come true. Again, this might be a great way to reflect and appreciate how much you’ve achieved. Or you might find that you’ve diverted from your original plans and are taking a new exciting direction!
9. Assess and Iterate
Have regular check-ins with your co-founders or ask for feedback from friends and mentors to evaluate how your plan is progressing. If certain things aren’t working or you’re not achieving your goals, adjust your plan and iterate. It’s better to fail fast and make changes rather than continue along the path of a slow and painful death.
Finally, take a moment to breathe and enjoy the journey! A positive attitude is crucial for ensuring that you overcome any obstacles that you may encounter along the way and will help you to achieve your goals for the year.
Happy 2018!