Take a deep breath. You made it through another whirlwind Holiday season! As we come into the slower time of year, it’s a good opportunity to look back and evaluate what went well and what could have gone better. They say hindsight is 20/20, and it’s a good idea to take a look back while everything is still fresh in your mind. Here are some ways that you can reflect on your own or with your team. Answering these questions will give you a good plan to move forward. You can choose to answer them quietly to yourself, or put a few of them up for your team to answer with post-its.
What were 5 things you and/or your team are most proud of last year? What were 5 things that challenged you and/or your team? Who went above and beyond to overcome those challenges? What did you and/or your team learn from last year? What can you do this year to apply what you learned?
This break in the busy-ness can turn out to be your most productive time of year if you use it correctly. What does that mean? Reflecting on the past year, making intentional plans for this year based on what you accomplished, re-energizing your team and taking time off with your family. Was that what you expected? If we keep plugging along with no time to reset, you’ll quickly find your candle burning on both ends with your fuse getting shorter and shorter.
So take a step away for as long as you feel comfortable to give yourself a chance to decompress. Who you are is much bigger than just your business, your profitability or what you get done. Think about what really makes you happy or feel like your best self outside your business. How can you do more of that this year? Write it on a post-it and tape it somewhere you can see it. If it means saying no to some things, that’s okay. Life’s too short to try and do it all. Use this time on your hands to invest in something that will benefit your family, your business, your team and your product tenfold - YOU!