What are some ways for me to get ahead in the New Year? 

Start planning early.

Ok, it’s too late now for this advice, but you can apply this tidbit for next year’s planning. One of my mentors, Dr. Carl Hicks, taught me about doing “new year” planning in the fall. He completes his personal and business planning so he can start on Oct. 1 instead of Jan. 1. The holidays can be a crazy time of year so this allows thoughtful planning ahead of time. In addition, he is already three months into his “new year” from an execution standpoint while most people are just getting started. Maybe Oct. 1 wouldn’t work for you; that’s alright. The key is to find a time of the year when you have the time and focus to reflect on your life and business planning. 

Create your Stop List.

We all have habits that set us back. I’ve found that we all, no matter the level of education, create our own “potholes” in life that we step right in. Make an exhaustive list of the things that you’re going to stop doing forever! Put the list where you can see it every day. Otherwise, you may allow the negative behaviors to drift back into a “blind spot” that goes unaddressed. Then, begin to tackle one negative habit at a time until you have eradicated it and hopefully replaced it with a new positive one. Don’t suffer in silence. These habits have probably been around for a while and may be hard to break.  Get some help, whether professionally or from a family member or friend. We all need some accountability in our lives to raise our game.

What are you tolerating?

Patience is certainly a virtue, but that doesn’t mean we need to drag ourselves down by endlessly tolerating life’s annoyances. Take a few minutes and make a thorough list of things that you’re simply tolerating. Ask your spouse or co-workers what you complain about, but never seem to do anything about. Just by writing these items down, you’ll be on the path of eliminating them from your life. This is not a license to act like a jerk and become self-centered. Instead, the point is to be more on the offense in life than simply playing defense. I like to ask this question of my employees so I can help them improve the quality of their work lives and to uncover hidden “hassles” that are hurting productivity in the organization.

Create reserves.

Too many of us are running on empty. With all of our responsibilities and often “boundary-less” living, we simply don’t operate with much margin in our lives.  Sometimes, it feels like we’re spinning plates, and if anything throws us off, then the plates can all come crashing down. There’s tremendous strength and joy that comes from living a life with plenty of reserves. Make a list of areas in your life where you might need more reserves. For example, are you always rushing to meetings and appointments? Consider how you are calendaring your time. Are you allowing enough “buffer” zones? Do you have financial reserves in your business and personal life?  Consider how much you actually need to weather life’s unexpected financial difficulties.  Money aside, do you have reserves of relationships? Consider whether you’re only making “withdrawals” from your relational bank accounts or actually making deposits as well. Who are your real friends? Consider whether you’re actually investing in these relationships. What about your health and wellness? Often, healthcare providers can be like the proverbial “cobbler with no shoes” as they neglect their own wellness in caring for others. Consider whether you’re making the lifestyle choices to create deep reserves of energy and vitality.

Know your “why’s.”

We often focus so much of our time on the how, when, and what of our busy lives that we fail to consider the “why.” Young children ask “why, why, why?” often to the point of great annoyance.  However, I find that most adults rarely ask “why” questions. “Why” questions help us focus our lives and understand what we truly represent. Why did you choose your current occupation? Why did you choose to work for your current employer? If you own a business, why does it exist? Why were you equipped with the talents and skills that you’ve developed? Why are you making certain important choices in life? Our life is the sum of the choices that we make. By asking yourself “why” more often, then you make better informed and clearer decisions in the crossroads of life.

I wish you the best in this New Year, and hope that you’ll take the initiative to improve your own life and those around you by striving to be the best “you” that you can be!

Martin Willoughby is a serial entrepreneur, author of the book Zoom Entrepreneur, and a business consultant. Direct questions to Martin at martin.willoughby@butlersnow.com

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