To me, you can’t go forward without a real look back. 

As 2018 ends, I’m feeling accomplished. So many great things happened in 2018! It was a challenging, emotional, amazing, scary, beautiful and crazy all together year. What a great year! I learned so much about me, about business, and especially about my clients. 

As I look forward to 2019 and making goals and attaining success in this next year, I reflect on 2018 and realize just how many things weren’t planned or expected, visualized or manifested. And yet, how many things were accomplished. 

I’ve always believed with hard work comes success. Success means many things in the life of a new business that first year. Success is getting your name out there, networking, connecting the dots of how your company can fill a needed gap of a business, and be someone else’s feather. Adding value to a person or company that was not realized or even thought could exist – is success.

Yes, it means landing clients, making money and maintaining a bottom line in the black. But often we fail to look at everything holistically to realize just how much was accomplished. 

What I am completely blown away by are the people I have met and the unique individual talents I have discovered in the people that are the closest to the heart of the business and those who truly believe in our mission. I’ve been surprised at who is in our corner and YOU may be surprised at who is in your corner. I got into HR to help people. Matching people and companies and keeping people in those companies to foster equality and diversity; different people working and accomplishing together to meet unified goals as an organization or business – has always made me happy. End of story. Love it.

Here are a few tips for setting goals and starting your 2019 year off with clarity. 

These apply whether you own a business or work for a business. 

Set goals for yourself. In one year, let’s reflect on your accomplishments. 

1. Surround yourself with people that lift you up. Give your energy to those people. Don’t waste time on people that suck you dry. Tune them out. You know what it is like to be surrounded by people that suck the air out of the room? Choose differently. 

2. You feel like there is so much to do. There is. Write it down. Set weekly, quarterly and yearly goals. Do it. Do it individually or as a team. Check them off.

Put it somewhere where you see it every day. I am a visual person. It is there. I may not reflect upon it every day, but I see it every day. You will not believe how much satisfaction you will feel from the traction. Feel the traction. You are moving. The team is moving. Up. Up. Up. 

3. Do something every day that gives you energy. Do art, plant plants – what gives you air? Is it exercise? To me, this is what self-care is about. 

4. Reach your weekly, quarterly and yearly goals, but then celebrate. You know what is appropriate for a reward. I have worked in too many companies with too many people who didn’t celebrate and say thank you. Lift each other up and allow yourself to lifted up in the celebration. 

As a manager, the first thing I’ve always tried to do is acknowledge the good – what was accomplished in that year. Heck, I want to be treated that way! Tell me what we did GREAT – then tell me what I need to work on! I don’t know about you, but I have way more energy to accomplish Mt. Everest from the 10,000 feet mark than from the bottom. 

Take that look back, but don’t stay for long. We’ve got work to do. See you at the top.

Julie