We’ve just rung in 2019. What can you do to get this new year off to a good start? Here are a dozen ideas. You may not need to implement all of them, so choose the ones that will help you the most—and get going!
Start the New Year Off Right With These Ideas
1. Clean up your act. Go through your old files — both digital and paper — and purge what you don’t need. You’ll feel lighter and more energized. Plan a company wide cleanup day for all your employees to get their work spaces in order, too.
2. Simplify your technological life. How many apps do you have on your phone? How many of them do you actually use? Ditch the unnecessary apps and streamline your home screen to just the ones you need.
3. Get on schedule. Is your calendaring solution working for you? If not, find a new one. (Maybe it’s a paper calendar — that’s OK. The point is to find the system that’s most effective for you.)
4. Give your business a makeover. If customers come to your place of business, January is the perfect time to give it a new look. Decide if you need new signage, a new coat of paint, or new furniture and fixtures to update it for the coming year.
5. Revisit your plans from the past year. When 2018 started, what goals did you set? Have you achieved them? If not, do you still care about them? If you do care, figure out what stopped you from following through in 2018 and what you can do differently this year.
6. Drop a quick note to your 10 most important contacts, letting them know how much they mean to you and why.
7. Reconnect with colleagues and prospects. Maybe you talked about a big project with a colleague last summer, but both of you dropped the ball. Reach out to the person again to see how you can work together in 2019.
8. Commit to learning. To stay on top of your industry’s news and trends in the coming year, find a new blog, publication or newsletter in your field to follow. Sign up for an upcoming industry conference or event.
9. Get your tax documents in order. There are lots of big tax changes in store this year, so get a head start on tax time now. Gather all your 2018 documents and data in one place and make an appointment with your accountant.
10. Set up a date this month to meet with each of your employees and discuss their goals for 2019. Set measurable goals for each person; if possible, tie their success to a bonus plan or other reward. It’s a great way to keep employees motivated.
11. Help your employees be healthier this year. Employee health and wellness are increasingly important to worker satisfaction. Figure out ways your company can support employees in reducing stress and becoming more physically fit. For instance, you could schedule twice-daily “stretch breaks” or invest in standing desks. A companywide weight loss challenge is also a great idea for January.
12. Don’t overwhelm yourself. If you’re the type who likes to make New Year’s resolutions, it’s easy to overburden yourself with dozens of unrealistic goals. Keeping your resolutions manageable will make them easier to live by. Try making one resolution each for your mental, physical and emotional health, or one resolution for your business and one for your personal life.
Along those lines, make time this year to occasionally relax and recharge. It will help you stay energized and focused throughout 2019.