It’s a new year and you are excited about what the future holds. Ideas are fluttering around your mind like it’s a butterfly garden and you can’t keep up with how quickly they are developing. You want to keep your audience engaged, you want to introduce them to new products, ideas or concepts. You want to get this ingenuity out of your mind and into the world. Then you think, "BUT wait, I can’t just put them out there. I have to plan. I have to make sure all of the components for all of these ideas are in place and which one am I going to begin with?" The pressure mounts, you feel like an ant trying to climb Mount Everest. Then, overwhelm sets in and your brain feels scattered in a million pieces. I’ve been there and learned a thing or two.
REFLECT
You know where you are in your business for the most part. Maybe you need to take a temperature check. By that, I mean reflection. Take a moment to reflect on your journey and think about where you are heading. Do you like it? What’s working? What do you want to do differently? What do you want to try? Make a list and mull over it for a bit. Determine what you may want to implement and plan for the implementation. Rushing into your decision may only make you feel more overwhelmed.
Pace Yourself
With all of the excitement and energy that you feel given the opportunity of a “new” start at the turn of the year, it’s easy to over assert yourself in work. Before you know it, you feel that burn out. You are tired before summer and ready for that six month break. Whoever said this, said it best, “Slow and steady wins the race.” Work consistently at a pace that provides you time for a balanced life, some work and some play. Remember this is a journey that has bumps along the way so be patient.
Learn
If you are not learning, you’re not growing. Be keenly aware of what you know and what you need to know and what you want to learn. Align yourself with people who can teach you. Find books that will elevate you. Take a class, join a webinar accept a challenge in the area that you identify is a need for growth. Do something that is going to make you better for the people you serve. You will be blessed for your good stewardship.
Give Thanks
Be thankful. There are going to good things that you will automatically be grateful for. There will also be not so good things that will challenge you. Those things are where you must find the reason to give thanks. It may be as simple as I’m thankful it wasn’t worse or it may be what the lesson you learned from the challenge. Now you are wiser and you are thankful for that. A gratitude changes the attitude. It changes perspective and allows you to have hope. It will carry you through ant of life’s journeys!
Form these as habits throughout the year and they will help you to have smoother transitions with everything that will come your way. You can and will handle it all! Make this year a GREAT one.