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New Year's Tips from our Global Entrepreneurs in Residence

Calendar with notes and highlighter, Photo by Estée Janssens

10 Things We (Entrepreneurs)听Do听at the Beginning of The Year

As we say goodbye to 2017 and usher in a new year filled with endless opportunities, here are 9 tips from our Global Entrepreneurs in Residence (GEiRs), Colin Daniels and Masha Zvereva,听on what you should do in order to make this your best year yet.

1. Set the tone

In Russia we have a saying 鈥淭he way you celebrate New Year鈥檚 is how you鈥檙e going to spend it鈥 鈥 and having been brought up with this concept, I truly believe it. I think it鈥檚 a great way to set the tone to what next year is going to look like, so I make sure so clean my home, have a nice meal and spend it with the people I love.

But it doesn鈥檛 stop just there for me. I鈥檝e heard of another crazy theory that the way you spend the first 12 days of January is how you鈥檙e going to spend the next 12 months: 01.01 for the month of January, 01.02 for February and so on. And while I don鈥檛 believe that, I think that if you make a conscious effort to spend these days the way you鈥檇 like to spend the next few months, it鈥檚 an amazing way to start your year right! And this way, by committing to your new lifestyle, you鈥檒l be done with almost 2/3 of the time it takes to form a new habit (they say it takes around 21 days to do that).

2. Reflect

Entrepreneurs are often too focused on the future. While this is usually an important survival mechanism and a crucial part of moving your business forward, it鈥檚 also important to take some time to reflect on what you鈥檝e accomplished in the previous year so that you know what you hit out the park and what can be improved on in the coming year.

3. Clean slate

鈥淣ew Year, New You鈥 鈥 it may sound almost corny, but I like to start a new year from a clean state, it鈥檚 my way of rebooting. Clear your cache and free up more memory for creativity and new projects.

4. Set goals

This is pretty standard and it should go without saying: you need to map out where you鈥檇 like to be in a year鈥檚 time. A year is long-term enough to be ambitious, but short-term enough to still be realistic. And for entrepreneurs it鈥檚 super important to set business and personal goals. If they can be quantified 鈥 even better! Can you imagine looking back at those ambitious numbers at the end of the year and seeing that you鈥檝e achieved even more?

Goals and targets are important in keeping you motivated and focused. They also serve as reference points for reflecting on your achievements. You should try set yourself both personal and business goals that are challenging yet achievable. The last thing you want to do is set yourself up for failure!听

5. Plan听

As the famous saying goes, 鈥渁 goal without a plan is just a wish鈥. Create a plan for the year ahead that aligns to your goals and go over it frequently to make sure that you are on track. You can use whatever medium and format works best for you such as a todo list, spreadsheet, calendar, Gantt chart etc. Many people find it better to plan in quarters rather than months as this allows more flexibility and is easier to stay focused.听

6. Get going

Now that the goal setting and planning is out of the way, it鈥檚 time to get stuck in! Use your plan to guide you on the work that needs to be done and the milestones and deadlines that need to be met and try stick to them, otherwise your entire plan will be in vain.

7. Share your New Year鈥檚 resolution with someone who will hold you accountable

It鈥檚 one thing to come up with a New Year鈥檚 resolution, but it鈥檚 another to actually follow through. And if you tell someone who pushes you to be better, that would mean that you鈥檙e more likely to stick to your word. This is one of those rare cases where peer pressure can be a good thing.

8. Letter to future self

This is a fun one that I鈥檝e heard about recently: write a letter addressing yourself, talking about all of those things that you鈥檇 like to achieve in a year鈥檚 time as if you鈥檝e already achieved them. Be as descriptive as you鈥檇 like and don鈥檛 limit yourself to just career goals, include personal life and growth as well. Seal it and put it away. Open in a year to see if your predictions have come true. Again, this might be a great way to reflect and appreciate how much you鈥檝e achieved. Or you might find that you鈥檝e diverted from your original plans and are taking a new exciting direction!

9. Assess and Iterate

Have regular check-ins with your co-founders or ask for feedback from friends and mentors to evaluate how your plan is progressing. If certain things aren鈥檛 working or you鈥檙e not achieving your goals, adjust your plan and iterate. It鈥檚 better to fail fast and make changes rather than continue along the path of a slow and painful death.

Finally, take a moment to breathe and enjoy the journey! A positive attitude is crucial for ensuring that you overcome any obstacles that you may encounter along the way and will help you to achieve your goals for the year.听

Happy 2018!

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