New Year’s Resolutions. The most popular ones heading into 2024 were to exercise more, lose weight, get organized, learn a new skill or hobby, live life to the fullest, save more or spend less money, quit smoking, spend more time with family and friends, travel more, and read more. Many make them, but only 46% of people who did were successful. But that is still a far better percentage of success than those who had a goal they wanted to achieve but did not resolve to. Only 4% of them succeeded.
Albert Einstein is credited with having said that “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” This could be applied to how one runs their own business. If you keep operating your business the same as you always have, or marketing your business (or not marketing it) and expecting your business to grow in any measurable way, then you are, by Einstein’s definition, a little cra-cra.
So what if, for arguments sake, you tried something different in the New Year. Mixed it up a little. Stepped out of your comfort zone to boldly go where you’ve never gone before. You made a Business New Year’s Resolution. Or maybe, set your sights even higher and made more than one. What’s the worst thing that could happen? You fail? So what, you always learn more from failures than successes. Go for it. Start by asking yourself - what is my Business New Year’s Resolution going to be? Automating something, you have always done by hand? Hiring someone to handle marketing to free you up to focus on other priorities? Delegating a responsibility that you have held on to thinking no one else can do it like I can? Training someone and releasing the reins, so you can focus on a different aspect of your business you’ve never had time to grow?
You already know what you need to do. It’s there, in the back of your mind. You’ve thought about it for a while, but keep putting it off. There is no time like the beginning of a new year to begin anew. People are more successful in achieving their resolutions when they share them with others, so send me yours at ecodevdirector@southbury-ct.gov to help keep you accountable.
Kevin Bielmeier
Economic Development Director
Town of Southbury
EcoDevDirector@southbury-ct.gov
(203) 262-0683