Was last year a challenging year for you? Many of us said goodbye to loved ones (both personal and in the entertainment world). We dealt with job or financial issues. Life took us on a roller coaster. I, for one, welcome the chance to hit the “Reset” button and usher in new year success!
That said, just because we break out a new calendar doesn’t mean things are going to be different. Many of the things that made last year crappy were at least somewhat in our control. Just turning the page might be setting up another bad year.
So, how can we make this the year we want it to be? We have to work at it. Understand what is in our control and where we need to improve. Here are ways to set yourself up for new year success.
Build On the Good
I like to be positive. Like I wrote in my blog post, How To Be Positive When Life Sucks, staying positive is a choice. Even if you had a terrible year, I’m sure there were some good, and even great, things that happened too. I saw a lot of new babies, marriages, engagements, new jobs, new pets, vacations and so much more.
How can you build on the good things that happened to you? Let those positive feelings spill over to the tough issues that might seem like the end of the world.
Keep reminders of the things that make you happy. That will keep you in the right frame of mind and keep things in perspective. The photos you see in this post aren’t random photos. They’re reminders of all the great things that I enjoyed last year.
Be Honest and Improve
Before letting go of the negativity, take one more look and be honest about any mistakes you made. Were there ways to avoid these situations? Learn from your behavior and look for ways to improve. Change the things you can control to make sure this is your best year yet.
Be Ready!
Author Jason Miller interviewed Twisted Sister’s Jay Jay French on his podcast. Here are his takeaways that apply to marketing. Here are his takeaways that apply to marketing. This great interview led to me finding a video French-made on Inc.com, How to Make It in the Music Industry. In it he says (paraphrasing) every day brings an opportunity that might change your life. You never know when it will come. You need to be ready when it does.
Being ready takes the ability to recognize the opportunity and the courage to act on it. It may not be obvious, so you need to know your goals. These opportunities may involve risks. You might fail, but not trying guarantees that you don’t make it.
Be Kind
I’m not looking to get political, but fear and divisiveness is a big theme from last year. My solution is to be kind to people. No matter where you fall in the political landscape, being kind and helpful is a basic tenet of humanity.
Human decency, respect and kindness are not dictated by laws and bills. Go out of your way to help those that need it – even if that takes you out of your comfort zone. If you believe the country is about to take a big step backward, help us to move forward in spite of it.
That’s where my head is as I look forward to the new year. I’m going to bust my ass to make sure that it’s a much better year. There will be bumps, but I’ll get through them. If I can help you get through something, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m happy to do what help any way I can.
What are you looking forward to this year? How will you ensure your new year success? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Thanks for reading and please share this post with your friends. Happy New Year!