New Year- Don't Forget the Old You!

I think it’s natural that we equate new beginnings with January 1 of each year.? We celebrate a new year arriving, we review popular and historic events from the year that’s ending.??

The end of one year and beginning of another is a time of introspection and reflection, a time for creating resolutions (Bill’s definition: something you say you’ll do in January and stop doing sometime in February) and setting goals.

We vow to ‘bring out best into the new year’ and ‘be a better version of ourselves’ in the new year.??

But is there something really ‘magical’ about what happens from 11:59 PM on December 31st and 12:00 AM on January 1st?? Is that time more special than 11:59 PM on September 30th and 12:00 AM on October 1st???

The answer to that question is both yes, and no.

WHAT IS DIFFERENT?

Besides the fact that the last number in our four digit year changes, there is an ending that happens in many facets of our lives.

In our professional and business lives a year ends.? There are taxes to figure out, sales numbers to pull and statistics to evaluate from the previous year.??

A new budget year starts, a new sales year starts and all of the important metrics of business go back to 0.??

There have already been the celebrations of the prior year and we have kick-offs to look forward to as we step into this new period of evaluation- I mean that’s really what a new year is in the business world, right?

WHAT REMAINS THE SAME?

But, on the flip side, there are things that do not change between those magical minutes between 11:59 PM and 12:00 AM on that celebrated night.

Your challenges and victories of the previous year don’t immediately vanish.? Sure, the stats do, you don’t carry any numbers into the new year.? But the victory, the client relationships, the mistakes you made (and hopefully learned from), they stay with you as you step into the new year.

You may think that’s both good and bad- it is.? Almost everything in life is both good and bad.??

Why do we want to only think about the good and take that with us but leave our mistakes (and more importantly, the lessons we learned from them) in the past?

Sure, we need to leave feelings of failure behind, they don’t serve us well.

But we should make sure we’re taking the lessons we’ve learned with us.

Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.

Also, you take with you into a new year your most valuable asset- you.

As humans, we’re constantly changing.? I’m sure you can look back and see ways you’ve changed from last year to this year- both good and bad.? Bring into the new year what serves you and leave that which doesn’t in 2022.

But, remember the struggles, remember the challenges.? You grew from those struggles and challenges.? You learned lessons from them and became the person you are today, right now, from those…. As well as the victories.

Speaking of victories- remember them.? Celebrate them and realize who helped you with those victories and celebrate those people.? If you haven’t done so yet, thank them.?

We need both victories and setbacks to flourish, By remembering them we place them in our soul so that they are not forgotten.

So, Happy New Year- don’t get so caught up in the changing year, get caught up in realizing that you’re changing and you’re starting this new year different and better than you were last year.??

And if you’re not, do something about it!

If you're in sales, may I offer one great step to make your 2023 a success??

Join us for the Selling From the Heart 2023 Authentic Selling Challenge starting this coming Monday, 1/9 at Noon ET.

We'll gather virtually every day that week from Noon-1pm ET and hear from the likes of

Larry Levine , Darrell Amy, VCG, CEPA , Don Barden, Ph.D. , Meridith Elliott Powell, CSP, CPAE , Liz Wendling , Brent Adamson and Colleen Stanley, CEO !

You can register HERE !