It’s officially 2022! We hope you had a safe, fun celebration with your loved ones. Have you made any New Year's resolutions?
As an entrepreneur, there are probably many things in your life that you want to improve. Maybe you want to boost your business by improving your customer experience or joining more business networking groups. Maybe you want to improve your personal life by taking better care of your health or expanding your team so you can do less and delegate more.
While most people are optimistic about achieving their goals, the reality is: most New Year’s resolutions don’t stick. In fact, according to U.S. News & World Report, the failure rate is about 80%!
Yikes.
But don’t worry! Those statistics don’t mean that all hope is lost. You might just need a little guidance and support, but we’re positive that you can change your habits and have a fruitful year. And we at TopVA are here to help you out!
The first thing you should do to make your New Year’s resolutions stick is to make resolutions that you can actually keep. Take a look at your list and make sure that each goal is both realistic and measurable. For instance, instead of a vague, equivocal resolution like “I will improve my digital presence,” have a clear target to aim for, such as “I will post on social media at least once per day.”
In this case, specific > general.
By doing so, you’ll be able to pinpoint your action steps. Knowing the specific steps you need to take helps you figure out the logistics of achieving your goal. If you want to post every day, maybe you should use a social media scheduling tool so you can conveniently queue content across multiple accounts, or consider outsourcing your social media marketing. You can add as many action steps and subgoals as you need.
But don’t stop at just planning! Also, RIP Kobe.
You’ll also want to track your progress so you can hold yourself accountable. You are responsible for holding yourself to your resolutions, and it’s easier to do that with a visual reminder. Not to mention, seeing how far you’ve come can also help you keep going, especially during off-days! It’s important to celebrate your wins, so you can build on your momentum.
And if you wish to take this a step further, you can opt to find an accountability partner. Not only will they keep you in check and steer you in the right direction when you’re lost, but you’ll also have someone you can turn to for advice! Just make sure you choose someone with similar energy and ambitions as yours so that it’s much easier to build trust and rapport.
Another excellent tip to help you keep your resolutions is to change existing conditions in your favor. You’d be surprised how much of an influence your immediate environment has on your long-term productivity. For instance, if you find yourself easily distracted while working from home, try shutting off new alerts and non-essential notifications on your phone. If you’ve been getting restless, try moving your work spot every so often, or even try a standing desk. Give yourself the best chance at keeping your resolutions by not overlooking the minor details!
Listen to Mariah, people.
Lastly, don’t beat yourself up when you make mistakes! Mistakes don’t mean failure. They’re just opportunities you can learn from and use to fuel yourself even further. The worst thing you can do is to throw in the towel. Just be patient with yourself and...
...keep your eyes on the prize.
Keeping your New Year’s resolution isn’t the easiest, but we hope these tips helped. We know that you can make 2022 your year! And if you want more helpful tips and life hacks that will set you up for success, check out our blog!