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Did you make any New Year’s resolutions? Have you stuck to them? We’re about midway through January, and it seems that around now even the most resolute start avoiding their list. One of the biggest problems with New Year’s Resolutions, in my opinion, is that they are kind of boring. Go to the gym; don’t eat so many sweets; stay away from fast food – it’s hard to keep your nose to the grindstone when your goals are that predictable. If you’re already starting to skip out on your resolutions, maybe you should resolve to help your business instead. And, this time, make them interesting!
Or any other show of agility, maybe learn to hula-hoop, or do a cartwheel. It may seem a little weird, but fitness is important when running a business. Studies have found a strong correlation between a CEO’s fitness, and the value of their business. Boring resolutions like ‘run more’ or ‘go to the gym’ are vague and have no end goal. On the other hand, learning how to do something like a handstand forces you to be a touch more active, and you have something to show for it at the end.
Unless you’re really outgoing and friendly, networking can be hard. It’s way too easy to spend an entire conference milling around your hotel room or staring at the ground. And that isn’t a good thing since networking is vital to your business’s success. If you’ve found it hard to approach or talk to people, learn some magic, or another party trick. Again, you will know when you’ve mastered whatever you set out to do, and these sorts of skills are great icebreakers.
I guarantee that at least a few of you had ‘Work Harder’ near the top of your resolutions. And, if you run a business, that may not be the best idea. Instead, resolve to do less work by learning to delegate. I know all too well how hard it is to let go of the reins of your business. But if you spend everyday micro managing, you’ll burn out and your staff will resent you. This year, trust your team and give them the chance to impress you.
Sick and tired of making resolutions? Well maybe you should just throw out your list all together. While I do believe setting and meeting goals is a useful exercise, studies link New Years resolutions with a tendency to procrastinate. After all, ‘sometime this year’ is a pretty long deadline. Resolutions are most useful when they are attainable, so making broad, sweeping resolutions like ‘make my business successful’ aren’t going to help you, or your business. Whether you use the resolutions above, or you create your own set of goals, the most important factor is that you’re actually able to accomplish them. Choosing a few uncommon ones just makes them more fun!
Deborah Sweeney is the CEO of MyCorporation.com. MyCorporation is a leader in online legal filing services for entrepreneurs and businesses, providing start-up bundles that include corporation and LLC formation, registered agent, DBA, and trademark & copyright filing services. MyCorporation does all the work, making the business formation and maintenance quick and painless, so business owners can focus on what they do best. Follow her on Google+ and on Twitter @mycorporation.
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