This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business.
For the entrepreneur, this time of year typically means a mad dash to
wrap-up remaining projects, close deals, and squeeze in time for family
and friends. As the days get shorter, it starts to feel like time
accelerates faster than ever -- leaving you less and less time to
accomplish your year-end goals.
However, amidst the holiday chaos, it is possible to stay grounded
and set the foundation for a successful year to come. Here are six ways
to help you recharge your business in the New Year.
1. Get your priorities in line: Time management is a
year-round challenge for business owners, but schedules get even
tighter during the holidays. That’s why it’s more important than ever to
know your priorities. Set a stopwatch for 20 minutes and write down
everything that needs to get done. Then, give yourself another 10
minutes to assess which of those tasks are the most important to
yourself, your business and your family. Keep that list in mind as you
start each day -- and make sure all your activities are centered around
those core priorities.
2. Ditch the New Year’s resolutions: A FranklinCovey survey found that 80% of people
who make New Year’s resolutions will break them. And a third never make
it to the end of January. If you’re one of the many people who have
left a string of resolutions behind, it’s time for a new approach.
Rather than creating your resolutions for 2013, use the end of the
calendar year to reflect on your business and market. What were some of
the best things that your business accomplished this year? What were
some of the biggest mistakes? Don’t rush to begin planning the new year
until you’ve celebrated your wins and acknowledged your mistakes.
3. Evaluate your year as a business leader: In
addition to reflecting on your business, this is a good time to reflect
on yourself. After all, as an entrepreneur, you don’t exactly get a
yearly performance review. Being as objective as possible, write down
your strongest characteristics as a leader -- and your weakest. Then,
think about how each of these characteristics impacted your business,
team members and partners during the year. This type of objective
self-assessment can help you pinpoint areas to improve in 2013.
4. Build important connections: As a good
entrepreneur, you’re looking out for interesting opportunities around
every corner. And the end of the year offers a bevy of parties and
events. Make some time to take advantage of these networking events and
meet new people. Sometimes a simple party is the key to a great new
client, collaboration or partnership that will pay dividends in the new
year.
5. Show the love: During this hectic time, it’s all
too easy to become inwardly focused -- where you’re thinking more about
crossing things off your list than what (or who) really matters. Of
course, holidays are the time for family and friends, but I’m also
talking about the professional relationships that matter to you.
Think about the most important people you’ve worked with throughout
the year -- whether it’s a devoted assistant or a colleague who keeps
introducing you to great contacts. Then, let them know just how much you
appreciate them.
6. Unplug and recharge your batteries: No matter how
busy your schedule gets, every entrepreneur should take some
much-needed time away from the office and digital devices. Take
advantage, since this is often the one time of year when people expect
you won’t be working (unless, of course, you’re involved in some kind of
seasonal business). Downtime is the only real way to hit the reset
button, both personally and professionally. And it will open the door to
fresh perspectives and new inspiration.
How will you refresh and recharge your business this holiday?
6 Ways to Recharge Your Business in 2013