Use this time of year to reset, refresh your mind, get clarity about your goals, and determine yourself.
January 7, 2020
5 min reading
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur the collaborators are his.
Over the last 20 years of entrepreneurship I have created many pivots in my businesses. I’ve sold businesses and made a big change from a mostly offline business to a lifetime one. I experienced exciting highs as my business grew explosively and caused devastating lows due to my poor decision making, even when I could clearly see the mistakes I was making.
There have been many times that I have reached the beginning of a new year with clear eyes and hope. I used the first few weeks to reflect on where I could have done better and how I want to move forward in my business. I had to let go of the feelings and emotions that had the potential to hold me in place. It has made a difference and is one of the main reasons I travel to over 20 countries a year doing what I love.
Here we are at the beginning of a new year. Right now, you are thinking and planning all the things you want to achieve in your life and business. You may be licking from last year’s wounds. Maybe sales didn’t turn out as you expected. You may be on the edge – think about whether you want to be an entrepreneur. I’m listening to you.
Related: How I got out of a fun (and saved my business)
It’s time to make ourselves stronger.
Self-limiting beliefs paralyze entrepreneurs. The feeling of not being good enough. The little voice telling you that you failed because you haven’t reached “Amazon” status yet. Negative entrepreneurs in your environment who talk about how slow the business is. Online critics scoff at the way other entrepreneurs build their business.
Building a successful business is much more than strategy. There are tactics and steps you will take, but the battle you have in mind is where you will have to conquer. You need to strengthen yourself mentally and emotionally to handle the tactics and strategy that build a business.
Until you are stronger, the slightest will cause you a mental spiral. These spirals take up a lot of your valuable time that you could use to build your business. In these mental spirals, it is common to make emotional decisions that can have a negative effect on your business.
You have to feel it to heal. That is, it processes everything you feel. Admit how you really feel. Then get logic with yourself. Realize that you’ve probably made things bigger than they are. Our minds do it. After processing and analyzing the situation logically, return to working at your maximum state.
Listen to a song that makes you pump. Watch an inspiring video. Write. Dance around. Do whatever it takes to bring your mind, body, and spirit to the place where you feel like your strongest. Feel the change in energy and watch as your attitude improves. Get out of this spiral. You can use this exercise whenever you feel slippery.
Related: Stop listening to these 5 self-limiting beliefs that hold back your business
Move forward bravely.
A big part of embracing the future is leaving the past behind. We are human. We all make mistakes in our lives and businesses. As human beings, we tend to punish ourselves for these mistakes long after we have made them. To have a successful year in business, be kinder to yourself. Forgive me but remember the lesson.
Use this time for the new year to leave behind last year. Everything that didn’t go as planned is a lesson you can use to grow. Life is our greatest teacher. Right now is your new opportunity to take bold steps toward your most important business goals. Let go of all the anger, guilt, resentment and grief of last year.
Believe in yourself. You may not have all the answers or know everything about the business you are building, and that’s okay. Rest assured that you will work hard and learn what you do not know. Realize that today there is a great opportunity for us as entrepreneurs because of the Internet and social media.
Use this time of year to reset, refresh your mind, get clarity about your goals, and determine yourself. You can’t always control what happens to you, but you can how you respond. You have the power to change your circumstances and build the business of your dreams. Start now.