You may be wondering if you just read that title right. Shouldn’t you be thinking big when it comes to your goals for the year as a brand? Surely 2022 is the year to go bigger and badder and come out even stronger on the other side, so why would I tell you to think small?
The truth is, it’s the little things that count – even in your business.
Too often we let what we want to achieve get overshadowed by large undertakings that leave our goals like dust in the wind by the end of the year. This year when you’re looking at your goals and envisioning the growth you want to see for your business I want you to put away the idea that you have to have grandiose goals to get there. Instead, this is your time to reign it in and think smaller, more specifically and to prioritize the little things that are going to take you further than ever before.
What Worked Well Last Year?
Start by taking inventory of the last twelve months and recall the things your business did well. Where did you find the most opportunity and sales? What marketing efforts paid off? What can you remember feeling really positive about? This is an important first step when you’re thinking about what you want to work towards because it doesn’t always have to be reinvention that you’re after each new year. Recollection is just as powerful as it gets you thinking about the little things that you not only want to repeat, but capitalize on again.
Where Can You Improve This Year?
Now comes the harder part: being your own critic. Trust your gut and without being too hard on yourself look back at where you saw room for improvement. Circle back to the moments you felt the largest pain points as a business. Were those moments caused due to organization issues, time management, cash flow problems or a lack of boundary setting? All of these things should be part of the small ways you look for improvement in the new year and how to focus your energy toward establishing workflows or processes to reach those bigger goals.
Who is Helping Keep You Encouraged & Accountable?
Community will always be your greatest resource as a business, but it won’t come to you on its own. Think about where you had the most support last year, or even the least. What would you change? The goals you are going to be working toward need to have support outside of just you. Maybe you need to hire a business coach or join a membership in 2022, or just make time to meet more regularly with a fellow business owner friend for coffee? Prioritizing something as small as relationships in your business can make all the difference.
How Are Your Daily Goals Setting You Up for Success?
It’s easy to dream big and to think about the future, but it’s much harder to set small goals and create daily processes that will actually get you there. You want to create a daily plan that supports how you and your team work best, while keeping focused on the small goals that sometimes get pushed under the rug. When are you at your most productive, creative or restless? How do you want to feel in your business? What kind of schedule will help maintain those feelings? Think about how the little things add up when you don’t consider them holistically.
Hustle & Heart Challenge
This month take an intentional step back and break your big goals for the new year into small steps that will support you along the way. Remind yourself that it’s the little things you do consistently that will lead to the biggest changes and growth in your business!