How to Start the Year: Anti-Resolutions

The new year is traditionally viewed as an opportunity to start fresh, a time to abandon old, bad habits while embracing healthy, productive practices. Sure, it's a great idea in theory, but in practice, why would you want to try to overhaul your life (including your business) during what is arguably the least inspiring time of the year?

Instead of making aspirational resolutions that are likely too unrealistic to achieve, here's another idea: anti-resolutions. They're basically the opposite of traditional New Year's goals (hence the name). Instead of trying to curb all your natural tendencies and embody the so-called 'perfect' version of yourself, anti-resolutions give you the freedom to be honest about what you need, the permission to let go of what doesn't serve you, and the motivation to move ahead. Here are some ideas to get started.

Don't hang on to unhealthy business partnerships.

Even if you once had a great relationship, it's important to rethink and reassess your partnerships periodically. Whether it's a vendor whose quality has dropped or a collaboration that is no longer mutually beneficial, you need to put your customers' and your business's needs first, and that means knowing when to move on.

Stop wasting time on tasks that can be automated.

Payroll taxes, scheduling appointments, tracking sales - there are so many tasks that, although vital to your business, are complete time-sucks. And, on a more serious note, if you're not an expert when it comes to, say, tax law, you also run the risk of making costly mistakes that could compromise the future of your business. Free up your schedule by implementing automated systems like Square Dashboard and Payroll to stay on top of your business goals without getting overwhelmed by the details.

Don't obsess over your competitors.

You can't ignore the competition, but there's a difference between monitoring what it's doing and being consumed by it. Instead of spending all your time worrying about what your competitors are doing, focus on creating, innovating, and providing the best products, services, and experiences to your customers. Pretty soon, your competitors will be obsessing over what you're doing.

Quit trying to do everything.

When you're running a business, it can be difficult to give up control. But if you want your company to grow, you need to learn how to delegate. Focus on a few core objectives and goals for the year ahead, and then assign other tasks to your employees. This way, you won't spread yourself too thin. Also, empowering employees to take ownership of certain responsibilities makes them feel more invested in their work, which helps boost retention.

Stop procrastinating.

Once you've automated and delegated, you'll find yourself with some extra time on your hands, and that means you can no longer say that you're too busy to take on the projects that you've been putting off. Taking some things off your plate also means that you have the mental space to brainstorm new ideas and get creative. Once you have nothing holding you back, there's no excuse not to create new goals and then go after them.

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