Sometimes making resolutions feel exhilarating. Sometimes they feel exhausting. 

If this year you just aren’t feeling it when it comes to January 1st promises and 2021 daydreams, here are a few things you can do for your business that aren’t resolutions but can contribute to the overall success of your business.

Look Back

The New Year is all about looking forward. What can you achieve? What will you accomplish? Where will you start? Where will you end up? It’s exciting, but not always productive. Especially if you’ve had repeated instances of falling short on your beginning of the year commitments.

And while many are hoping to leave last year in the past, there is a lot to be said for auditing your previous year in business.

Review Your Calendar

Where did you spend most of your time? Email, meetings, product development, customer service, content creation?

Answer these questions:

• Was my time used wisely?
• Where were my successes in time management?
• What were the time sucks? 
• Did you make space for rest, creative development, family?
• Who could have helped you be more successful? Who was a vital player in your success?

Journal Some Memories

Take a little time to pour over your best business days. Your worst work hours. The unexpected surprises. The client reviews that blew your mind. Express your gratitude for the pieces of your business that bring you blessings. Say sayonara to the stressors that, in hindsight, were actually moments of growth. Praise yourself for your strengths and give yourself grace on your shortcomings. 

Take a little time out for reflection instead of steamrolling into 2021.

Brainstorm Content

Is there anything better than a little mind monsoon? Brainstorming frequently feels like a luxury to busy entrepreneurs. But if you were going to take time out today for resolutions, why not give yourself a little more leverage and create a list that is a useful tool to tap into all year?

Every business needs content. Whether you’re hoping to start a podcast or thinking about developing a course, let your mind run wild on all the ways you could push your content to the next level.

Think about the topics you want to cover, the questions you want to answer and all the ways you can cut loose on content. Challenge yourself to come up with 100 new ideas. Or at a bare minimum to put all the ideas that have been popping around in your head onto paper. 

Not only will this be a resource for the content development all year, but it will get the juices flowing on what it is you want to say this year rather than putting all the focus on what you want to do. 

Research Education

Instead of coming up with a list of finish lines you hope to cross, decide on the areas you hope to grow in and identify educators who can help you in that process.

Do you feel like you’re fumbling your way through Facebook ads? Have you plateaued as a leader and want to develop your management skills? Are you looking to be more inclusive in your content?

From books to digital courses to online events and workshops, there is literally a form of education for every need. Develop a list of educators and at a bare minimum, start following them online so you get a daily dose of their wisdom.

Believe it or not, you don’t HAVE to set resolutions. If you love it and find it beneficial, go for it. If it’s draining and unproductive, find another way to spend today.