Turn Post-Holiday Panic into Fresh Starts for the New Year

I don’t know about you, but from mid-November to January 2^nd it always seems like the majority of business decisions are put on hold for the holidays.  In a way it’s kind of nice to think that the joy, fun and family aspects of the holiday season takes precedence for at least a short period of time.  If you experienced a bit of a slowdown in your business the past month or so, I hope you took advantage and enjoyed the season.   I know I did, spending the entire month of December in the snowy woods of Maine enjoying some much needed time with family and friends.  If you’re anything like me though, this morning you sat down to your computer and felt a teeny, tiny bit out of sync.

At first a feeling of panic came over me as I realized that for an entire month I’d only focused on client projects and pretty much abandoned some of my own.  Then the coffee kicked in.  What a great opportunity to go back and review those projects and perhaps adjust and change them for the New Year.  Now I’m excited about the opportunity to come at everything in a refreshed and renewed way.  Rather than fall into a post-holiday panic or slump, I’m gearing up for a fresh start and some exciting changes ahead in 2014.

Just how do you turn the panic into a positive?                         

1. Do not feel guilty for taking time for yourself and enjoying the holiday season.  This is a big one.  Many of us that own small businesses feel that we should be focused on it all of the time.  We need to remember that it is just as important for us to nourish our personal side in order to be our best for our businesses.
2. Examine any ongoing or planned projects objectively. As an author as well as a small business owner, I’m aware that we can become extremely biased about our ideas, in the same way a write can be about their stories.  Try to review those projects the way someone else might see them.
3. Even better, team up with another small business owner (a biz buddy!), and have them take a look and give their honest opinion.  You can do the same for them and it will benefit both of you.
4. Don’t feel like you have to ‘catch up’.  Don’t look at the time you spent on yourself over the holiday season as time you need to make up for.  You’ll end up feeling pressured and stressed.

2013 is gone and 2014 is here, don’t spend your precious time worrying about what you didn’t get done in the past.  Enjoy a chance to start fresh and move toward increased success.