The New Year Is Your New Opportunity Use this time of year to reset, refresh your mind, get clarity on your goals and get determined.
By Kimanzi Constable Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
I've made many pivots in my businesses over the last 20 years of entrepreneurship. I've sold businesses and made a major shift from a mainly offline business to a lifestyle business. I've experienced exhilarating highs as my businesses grew explosively and devastating lows from my own poor decision making -- even when I could clearly see the mistakes I was making.
There have been many times that I've come to the beginning of a new year with clear eyes and hope. I've used the first few weeks to reflect on where I could have done better and how I want to move forward in my business. I've had to let go of the feelings and emotions that had the potential to hold me in place. It's made all the difference and is one of the main reasons I get to travel to 20 plus countries a year doing what I love.
Here we are at the start of a new year. Right now, you're thinking about and planning all the things that you want to accomplish in your life and business. You might be licking your wounds from last year. Maybe sales didn't go as you hoped. You might be on the edge -- thinking about whether or not you even want to be an entrepreneur anymore. I hear you.
Related: How I Got Out of a Funk (and Saved My Business)
It's time to get stronger.
Self-limiting beliefs cripple entrepreneurs. The feelings of not being good enough. The small voice telling you that you're a failure because you haven't reached "Amazon" status yet. Negative entrepreneurs all around you who talk about how slow business is. The critics online who make fun of the way other entrepreneurs are building their business.
Building a successful business is about a lot more than strategy. There are tactics and steps you'll take but the battle in your mind is where you'll need to conquer. You have to get stronger mentally and emotionally to handle the tactics and strategy that build a business.
Until you're stronger, you'll be triggered into a mental spiral by the slightest thing. Those spirals take up a lot of your valuable time that you could be using to build your business. In those mind spirals, it's common to make emotional decisions that can have a negative effect on your business.
You have to feel it to heal. Meaning, process everything that you're feeling. Admit to yourself how to really feel. Then, get logic with yourself. Realize that you've probably made things bigger than they are. Our minds do that. After you've processed and looked at the situation logically, work yourself back into your peak state.
Listen to a song that gets you pumped. Watch an inspiring video. Write. Dance around. Do whatever it takes to get your mind, body and spirit to the place where you feel like your strongest you. Feel your energy shift and watch your attitude get better. Take yourself out of that spiral. You can use this exercise every time you feel yourself slipping.
Related: Stop Listening to These 5 Self-Limiting Beliefs Stunting Your Business
Move forward boldly.
A huge part of embracing the future is leaving the past behind. We are human. We all make mistakes in our lives and businesses. As humans, we tend to punish ourselves for those mistakes long after they are in the past. To have a successful year in business, be more gentle with yourself. Forgive yourself but remember the lesson.
Use this time at the new year to leave last year behind. Whatever didn't go as planned is a lesson you can use to grow. Life is our greatest teacher. Right now is your new opportunity to take bold steps toward your biggest business goals. Let go of all the anger, guilt, resentment and regret of last year.
Believe in yourself. You may not have all the answers or know everything about the business you're building -- and that's okay. Have confidence that you'll work hard and learn what you don't know. Realize that there's a great opportunity for us as entrepreneurs today because of the internet and social media.
Use this time of year to reset, refresh your mind, get clarity on your goals and get determined. You can't always control what happens to you but you can control how you respond. You have the power to change your circumstances and build the business of your dreams. It starts now.
