Fail to plan...plan to...restart that resolution!

We’re back in the office for 2024, but our advisory guru’s Jason and Andrew have been back on the grind a little earlier this year, smashing out some thoughts to help you get your year off to a flying start!  

So, here we go. The new year, the new you!

Alright, let's get it out of the way early. For those of us lucky enough to get a break, January can be a sluggish month - the alarms, the soberness, the remembering of what day it is. Adulting is tough. It's okay.

So, happy new year to you...but now what?

1. You have a problem

The first few weeks will be slower and harder than usual, both mentally and physically. While we’re not suggesting you pull out the “excuse card”, we do need to acknowledge you’re not going to be on your a-game.

2. Revisit and revive your routine

Give yourself time to get this back. Try to get into your usual routine again: sleep, exercise, diet, the work thing, whatever it may be.

3. Rest and recharge

After a busy month of stuff and things, give your body a chance to rest and regenerate.  

4. Keep active

<insert resolution here> a healthy body is a healthy mind, and regular exercise is crucial to getting over the new year hump. Ensure you eat well, drink plenty of water and ease off the booze.

5. Look both ways – back & forward

If not already, give yourself some stealth time to look back on 2022. Don’t just focus on achievements or how ‘productive’ you were; revisit the wins and reflect on the not wins and the lessons you want to take forward. Spend the time roughing out your 2023. This one is critical. Reach out if you want a whiteboard session on this.    

6. Create a self-care plan

Life is full of challenges, no less than the last few years. Give yourself some time to think about the various areas of your life - work, rest and play - and write down activities or strategies that you can use to boost your mental health.  

According to Dr Google, 80% of people dump their resolutions within the month. But why? Are they too big? Too hard? Too made under the influence? 

What is (was) yours?

For the purpose of this blog, we will give you permission to dump any resolution you made and to start from scratch.  

You’re probably sitting there thinking about what the year to come might look like and what resolution you might want to make? Or maybe you’re hiding away from answering that for yourself. 

For some, planning comes easy. For others it’s like pulling blood from a stone. Often, it’s the questions that we ask that help us to get to the right answer. 

We’ve found these 3 questions can guide you as you plan for your year ahead. 

1. What do you want your year to be defined by? 

• Imagine you’re at a friend’s house in 12 months’ time, and they ask you – how did the year go? and you answer...well, 2024 was…
• Was it the year that you launched the idea you had been sitting on for ages? 
• Was it the year you started treating your business like a real business. Not a hobby? 
• Was it the year that you were able to give back to your community after years of their support? 

2. Based on what you give your business, what do you want it to give back this year?  

Think of it in 3 ways:  

Time 

• Maybe you want to be able to drop the kids off to school 3 times a week? 
• Maybe you want to stop working on Saturdays?
• Maybe you want the business to grow so you can work 5 days a week in it?

Money 

• What $$ do you feel is reflective of the effort you put in? 

Warm Fuzzies 

• Think of this outside of time & $$ 
• Is it an award you want to win? 
• Is it hiring your first employee? 
• Is it being able to work with a certain client? 

3. Give your answers to the first 2...what has to change?

• More than likely, if you keep doing the same thing that you did last year, you won’t get any further. Ask yourself, what has to change? Is it pricing, is it new tech or do you need to hire someone (or let someone go?).  

Where to now?

Whether you have the confidence to work through these yourself or need a sherpa, the key here is to ensure you have goals; you document said goals; you have a system of tracking progress; and, most importantly, you take the time to celebrate the wins.  

How can we help?

We often hear about work-life balance, and while the boundaries between the two have become blurred over the past few years, for those of us who are small business owners, it’s always been blurred. That’s what we do.    

With a background in accounting, business and mental health, can work with you on all your goals, whether work, life or business.  

Focusing on the transfer of knowledge and skills, we’ll work collaboratively to set goals, solve problems, implement strategies, and track progress. We’ll be here to high-five you when times are good, give you a cuddle when they are not, and a clip around the ear when you might be misbehaving. Our approach to advisory is hands-on as we seek to get you what you desire out of business and life.

So, keen to take over the world in 2024 or just get some sense of balance? Reach out, let’s kick this off.