Refresh and Get Organized

I love stepping into a new year. I always have.

What’s not to love about a new year? It is a time to release what no longer serves us, cherish the memories, and look ahead to the new year’s adventures.

Every January, in addition to solidifying my yearly goals, I reflect on the previous year, let go of what’s not working in my business, celebrate my wins, refresh and get organized for the year ahead.

If you’re interested in doing the same, here’s what I suggest to refresh and get organized:

1. Clear the Clutter. One of the first steps in a fresh start is decluttering. Whether it’s your workspace, digital files, or email inbox, tidying up creates a more productive environment. So clear everything off your workspace and give it a cleaning, unsubscribe to subscriptions and newsletters cluttering your inbox that you don’t read, and get all those digital files off your computer desktop and into proper folders.

You can read more about decluttering and organizing your inbox in a previous newsletter by clicking here.

2. Check Your Website. It is important to regularly look at your website to ensure it’s functioning optimally and accurately representing you and your business. This may sound obvious; however, small business owners or solo professionals often overlook their website’s maintenance. I recommend you schedule a monthly check of your website and add it to your calendar.

You can read more about checking your website in a previous newsletter by clicking here.

3. Review Your Client’s Journey. Take time to review your client’s journey with a fresh perspective.  Identify what is working well and pinpoint areas that need improvement or updating. The objective here is to document your observations and actively refresh your client’s journey so that you’re well-prepared for the new year. 

4. Make a list of frustrations. Identify any frustrating or obstructive elements within your business. For example, outdated and slow technology, a printer that’s constantly jamming, or manual tasks that could be automated are all common frustrations. Tolerating such frustrations within your business can cost you valuable time and money. Therefore, it is important to take action and address these problems or put a plan in place to tackle them. The goal is to remove frustrations that hinder the growth of your business.

5. Celebrate Your Wins. Take a moment to celebrate your wins, big and small. I recommend making a note of wins along the way. This can be in a notebook, Evernote, OneNote, or whatever works for you. We often get caught up in our day-to-day activities and overlook the positive things. Keep your eyes open and look for the wins. Acknowledge and celebrate your wins, no matter how big or small they may seem!

Stepping into a new year is exciting! As I mentioned, I love this time of year and truly believe it to be the perfect time to evaluate your business and make strategic decisions for the future.

By following these steps and taking an honest look at what you’re stumbling over each day, you’ll come to understand what it’s costing you to have to search for a file on an unorganized computer or constantly fix a jammed printer. Remember, you don’t have to tackle everything at once. Start now, one step at a time. Avoid waiting until you have the perfect plan, more money, more staff, or more of whatever resources you think you need to move forward. 

Things That Bring Me Joy: The First Snowfall of the Season

There is something magical about the first snowfall of the season that brings me so much joy.

To be honest, I love it every time it snows, especially when I don’t have to drive anywhere. I can simply hunker down and joyfully look out at the peacefully falling snow.

In the attached photo, you can see the first snowfall of the season, which also happened to be Cooper’s first snowfall.

What are your thoughts on snow? Please let me know. I’d love to hear!