Leigh Ashton 
It’s that time again — we’re now just days away from the end of the year, and I don’t know about you, but it’s absolutely flown by for us.
We’re deep in planning mode for 2018, and we’ve got some really exciting things coming for you in the new year. Chances are you’re in a similar space, thinking about how you can grow, how you can do something better, or maybe even a launch you’ve got planned for the new year?
If so…stop!
Just for a minute. Because if we’ve learned one thing from working with small business owners over the years, it’s that sales success starts with looking back. That’s right: the first step to making 2018 an amazing year actually lies in learning from what happened in 2017.
So before you start seriously diving into your 2018 planning and goal setting (more on that next week), find some time to clear your head, sit down with a nice hot drink and explore these questions:
2017 Review
The Good Bits
Think about all the amazing things you did this year, all of the wins, everything about this year that made it great.
For each win, ask yourself:
- What was my focus?
- What actions did I take?
- What personal qualities did I use to achieve success?
- What strengths did I draw upon?
- Who else was involved in this success?
- What qualities did they bring?
- How can I use this strategy in other areas or situations?
The Not-So-Good Bits
There’s no point trying to turn a blind eye to what didn’t work this year. You can only fix it if you understand it…so ask yourself very honestly, what didn’t work well this year? What were the failures, the moments you wished never happened?
And for each, consider:
- What was my focus
- What actions did I take?
- What did I fail to notice at the time?
- What could I have done differently?
- What got in the way of success?
- If I’m really being honest, in my heart of hearts, what stopped me from succeeding?
The Most Important Part!
Now that you know all of this, what are you going to do in 2018? How can you draw on your wins, using similar strategies or replicating the circumstances that helped you to succeed? How can you avoid making the same mistakes that led to your less successful situations? What bad habits or unhelpful thinking are you ready to be done with in 2018?
The next step in the ‘Make 2018 Great’ mission is goal setting, so start thinking about what you want to accomplish next year. Be sure to check out our blog next week, where we’ll give you a great goal setting exercise!
Until next time,
Leigh xx
