This time of year we’re flooded with posts about New Year resolutions. And don’t get me wrong – I absolutely believe in setting goals, and in writing them down. That’s surely a step that increases success.

But right now I’m asking you to NOT make any New Year’s Resolutions. 

Not yet.

There is something else you must do first.

Look Back

We’re a forgetful people (us retailers especially – we have a lot on our minds!). We so quickly forget what we accomplished. That there are things we know now, that we didn’t always know. We take our new knowledge for granted.

But it’s imperative that you acknowledge where you started, and how far you came in the last year. Being aware of your own growth – taking a moment to really acknowledge it, gives you hope and encouragement for what’s possible in the next year. It allows you to dream bigger than you might have otherwise.

Read that again: Deliberately acknowledging everything you accomplished last year will allow you to dream bigger because it shows you how far you’ve come, it shows you what you’re able to achieve – what’s possible for the future.

I bet you’ve come farther this year than you believed you could have a year ago. In fact, you probably accomplished more than you realized, am I right? Don’t sell yourself short by skipping over this step.

Appreciate

In addition to being forgetful, we’re also often trained to focus on the lack. We take for granted everything we’ve already received, and only see what’s still missing. This isn’t always a bad thing – it’s actually our ability to see the gaps between what we have, and what we want that drives us forward.

But we have to find the balance of appreciating what we have and deciding what else we want.

So before you start driving forward, there’s one more thing you should do:

Write down five things you are grateful for from last year.

It could be decisions made, prayers answered, people found, relationships ended, customers met, guidance found. Our steps forward look very differently sometimes.

They don’t always come wrapped as gifts.

Sometimes there is pain attached.

Be grateful for that which was placed into your life that’s leading you forward and making you stronger. The gift is the change that occurs afterwards.

You might find it hard to think of the first one, but something magical happens once you’ve written down a few, they start flowing much easier.

Savour that feeling. Let it spread and warm you up from the inside out.

Then, share them. Why? Because the power of sharing is that it can jog other memories of items deserving gratitude. By sharing you are helping yourself and helping others. Not sure where to share? Join our free retail community, I would love to hear from you!

To recap:

• Don’t sell yourself short. See all that you’ve accomplished this year. 
• Be grateful for what you’ve acquired. Write it down. 
• And then look forward and find your resolutions by taking our Best Year Yet 5-Day Challenge.