2020 is coming to a close and while we wish we could say it’s been a good one, that just feels weird. So we’ll say it’s been an interesting year. The reality is, while there were definitely challenges, there was so much good that happened this year.
For instance, personally… our NOW team grew by SEVEN people this year. Can you believe that!?
It’s not really the number that’s important, it’s more the quality of the humans we added to our team.
We’ve got individuals with heart and passion, and a ton of smarts, that are helping us continue to do the work that we love for our incredible clients.
If you’ve got a goal of finishing out the year on a high note, it’s super important to surround yourself with activators to help stay motivated and determined.
So, without further ado… here are a few best practice tips we LOVE, to finish the year on a high note…
We promise, we do these ourselves so you’re getting some winners here!
10 tips to end the year strong:
1: Life Audit
Think back to where you were - emotionally, financially, spiritually, intellectually - in January 2020. Think of this as a little year-end audit to see how you performed across the board. While we ALL love a good look at business goals (we’ll get to that next,) it’s important to keep in mind that we have lives beyond what we do for work.
Doing an audit across each aspect of our lives helps us see the habits we have, how we’ve grown, and where we’re giving and receiving energy across each “department.”
That’ll help us make smart shifts in specific areas as we move into the new year.
2: Review Business Goals
Take a look at the goals you had for your business when 2020 started.
Ask: How did you perform in relation to what you set out to accomplish? Were you able to pivot your business when the pandemic started? How did the pandemic impact your ability to reach your goals?
Being realistic about the impact that the challenges this year brought, had on your business, and your ability to achieve specific business goals, will allow you to truly evaluate your performance for the year. We can’t audit this year like things were “business as usual.”
3: Revisit Your Tools
The end of the year is the perfect time for us to slow down to speed up. Taking a look at the tools you use, the systems and processes in your business and really identify how they can help you achieve specific goals and how they are actually performing.
Maybe there’s a tool that isn’t really being used and pulling it from budget can help save a few bucks. Maybe there’s an amazing new tool to help amplify your skill set in a specific area.
Whatever the case, now is a perfect time to look at all of those subscriptions and tools and really assess what’s working.
4: Calendar Look-Back
This can be a super fun way to remember everything that happened throughout the year with your team!
Open up your calendar, your inbox, OR your camera roll, and take a scroll back through the last 12 months. Look at the Zoom calls you had... revisit those cool projects you and your team executed for your clients, and the fun team-building exercises you did virtually!
Going down memory lane can be a really nice way to remember the highlights of the year.
This is something that we love to do at the end of each year internally.
5: Celebrate Small Victories
Despite the fact that it was a tough year, we bet there were some bright spots. Some small wins that you had - as a HUMAN. Like that ONE day when you walked downstairs to find your kids coloring peacefully at the kitchen table. (Let’s be real. It’s been pure mayhem since that moment.) Or how everyone on the team dressed up for the Halloween call?
Take a moment to pat yourself on the back and really appreciate how much patience and energy it took to make it through this year.
You deserve to celebrate those tiny moments because they only help to create further momentum.
6: Make A SMART Goal List For 2021
As we look ahead to a new year, it’s important to take time to plan and prepare.
Making a list of SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound) goals is a great way to get yourself motivated and make sure that you’re starting off the new year with a clear vision.
Going INTO the new year with a list of goals makes it a LOT more likely that you’ll end the year having achieved them.
Be sure to add smaller milestone goals into the plan… they help tremendously to stay motivated and on track.
7: Be Ready To Adapt
So, you’ve got your list of goals but if there’s one thing that 2020 taught us, it’s that we need to be adaptable.
Make sure that your list of goals is flexible so you’re able to adjust to unexpected changes that are bound to come your way throughout the new year.
When you go into a new year KNOWING that “it’s not going to be normal,” it helps set the tone for a more adaptable mindset. Some of us “were sleeping” when the pandemic hit. We’re not asleep anymore. Let’s make sure that we’re awake and feeling ready to take anything head-on as we enter this new year.
8: Get In A Sweat
Speaking of feeling awake and alive, we recommend a workout. Seriously.
We know it might sound weird, but there’s just something about getting in a good sweat that TOTALLY motivates you to crush it in other areas of your life. Whether you do a yoga class, dance around your living room or lift some weights at home, you’re bound to feel more mentally sharp after exercise.
Our Brand Manager Julia swears by Instagram as her go-to for free fitness content that she does at home. Senior Account Manager Brian hits the gym on the regular, and our CMO Jacquelyn throws on her running shoes before she starts the day. Whatever you decide to do, moving your body releases endorphins and it makes SUCH a big difference to how you feel.
9: Clean Your Closet(s)
Why not kill two birds with one stone and go through your physical AND digital closets!?
When it comes to clothing, it’s just so easy to accumulate! And with so many people in need, now is a great time to get rid of things while also helping keep someone warm for the winter. We recommend dropping off donations to your local goodwill or charity of choice. Another fun idea: do a clothing swap with friends of similar sizes/styles!
Mari Kondo knows what she’s doing: it’s proven that a cleaner closet can help create a more organized mental state.
Now, onto the digital closet cleanse: we know it's the last thing you want to do, but digital clutter takes up mental bandwidth too! Purge old files, organize that Drive account and organize your desktop so that you’re ready to start a new year on a fresh note!
10: Love On Yourself And Your People
This year was HARD. That’s why we saved our favorite idea for last. Now, more than ever, it’s important to love on yourself and your people.
We made it through this year and if we have our health, we have a LOT.
This year was really tough, so cut yourself some slack. Now is the time to give yourself a lot of grace for things not going the way you wanted.
Didn’t bake one loaf of bread? That’s okay, we didn’t either. Spent a little too much time on social media? That’s okay, we did too. We literally rabbit-holed down TikTok.
After all, we’re human beings doing our best to navigate a difficult year. Let’s not forget to be kind to ourselves.
Going into a new year with encouraging and positive self-talk makes it a lot more likely that we’re going to feel GOOD as we start the year. And isn’t that what we’re all here for? Some good vibes?
Whether you do one or ten of the activities above, we fully believe that incorporating any of these activities is a really simple and small way to add a little bit of joy to your day.
We all know that small steps are what create momentum, so maybe one activity on the list leads to two! Whatever you do, we believe that it’s small actions like this that end up playing a tremendous role in shifting your mindset and creating more positivity. And hey, we could all use more positivity as we approach a new year, don’t you think?
How are you feeling as we end the year? What are your favorite ways to stay motivated OR connected? Share with us in the comments below!
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