2023 is just around the corner, so while you may have put on an extra push to end the year at an all-time high, this is the ideal time to set aside an hour or so to look back and review your results over the past year. I guarantee it will set the stage for some impressive leaps forward to reaching your goals next year.
So, before you consider what you want to achieve in the future and set those goals, start by looking back at your successes. You can’t plan for the future if you’re worried about all the things in the past that you’ve attempted but didn’t work out.
Begin with an attitude of gratitude as you go through this process. Pull out your day planner, calendar, or sales sheets to remember everything you’ve done. Let’s face it…you probably remember the one time you flopped when speaking in front of your prospective clients, but you may have forgotten about the standing ovation you received at the Chamber event.
So, get a clean piece of paper and set a timer for 60 minutes. As you go through your calendar, sales sheets, and any other tracking software, write down every success.
- What have you achieved?
- What made you feel good?
- What has made a difference in your life or in someone else’s?
Fill the page – or two pages. Note all the highs you’ve had for the year – the big contract you landed, the client that bought 20 widgets, and you thought he’d only buy 10, the new comfy office chair you finally purchased, or maybe you finally fit in a one-week vacation. Big or small…write it all down.
Once you have them on paper, you’re going to be in the right headspace – guaranteed! How could you not be? And remember to be grateful for all you have achieved over the past year, whether it was a big sale or you finally got up the nerve to attend your first networking event. This is the good stuff!
The next step…
The next step may take a bit more thought – and perhaps, a new perspective. As you’ve gone through your achievements, you may have noticed that some things didn’t turn out as expected. Now you need to dig deeper.
Look at your website with fresh eyes. Re-read your site’s content, social profiles, advertisements, direct mailers, brochures, sales letters, and any other marketing pieces you’ve sent to prospects this past year. You have connected with them, right?
Imagine you are your customer and reading your website for the first time. Do you need to change things up? Repurpose your material to create something different? Or is it time to hit the delete button and start with something fresh?
If you didn’t meet your sales goals this past year, you need to change things for 2023. If an event you were looking forward to hosting didn’t work out, was it the event itself or was it your marketing message to get butts in seats?
To gain that fresh perspective, you may need to ask for help – from one of your clients, a friend or colleague, or hiring an expert. Every successful entrepreneur knows that you can’t do it alone and it’s okay to ask for help. After all, if you don’t change, nothing else will.
