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Tag: New Year's Resolution

  • How to actually make getting fit a successful New Year’s resolution

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    FROM TOWSON. A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION IS I HAVE A TWIN SISTER, SO OUR GOAL IS TO ACCOMPLISH ALL OUR FITNESS GOALS, BE DISCIPLINED AND THAT’S WHY KARISMA GREEN IS UP EARLY AT PLANET FITNESS IN TOWSON. FOR TYRA WHEELER. CONSISTENCY HERE HASN’T JUST HELPED HIM CHANGE HIS BODY, IT’S CHANGED HIS LIFE. WITH MY CAREER, MY SCHOOLING, MY FAMILY, IT JUST MAKES ME WANT TO GO HARDER IN EVERY ASPECT OF MY LIFE. REALLY. ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, ON NEW YEAR’S DAY, IN FACT, TYRELL SET OUT TO GO FROM FROM EXTREME BEING TO, YOU KNOW, A MEAN GREEN. AND BY NOT GIVING UP, HE’S GONE FROM THIS TO THIS. PUTTING ON NEARLY 30 POUNDS OF MUSCLE. AND ONCE YOU START TO SEE A CHANGE IN YOUR BODY, IT’S NO STOPPING THERE. PLANET FITNESS GENERAL MANAGER QUINTIN DAILEY SAYS THE KEY TO MAKING SURE YOU DON’T GIVE UP WITHIN THE FIRST MONTH, LIKE SO MANY PEOPLE DO, IS IT’S FINDING YOUR WHY, FINDING WHY YOU WANT TO DO THIS. IT MIGHT BE FOR HEALTH, IT MIGHT BE FOR YOUR MENTAL HEALTH. IT MIGHT BE FOR TO YOUR FAMILY CAN SEE YOU A LITTLE LONGER SO YOU CAN MOVE A LITTLE BIT BETTER SO YOU CAN GET A LITTLE STRONGER. ONCE YOU FIND YOUR WHY IT BECOMES A LOT EASIER. GETTING FIT IS A NUMBER ONE RESOLUTION ACCORDING TO YOUGOV.COM. ALSO ON THE LIST. BEING HAPPY, EATING HEALTHIER AND SAVING MORE MONEY. ADULTS UNDER 45 ARE ALSO ABOUT TWICE AS LIKELY AS OLDER AMERICANS TO SAY THEY WILL MAKE A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION. DO YOU HAVE A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION? NO, I DON’T HAVE A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION. I BELIEVE IN MAKING PLANS EVERY DAY AND CARRYING THEM OUT EVERY DAY, INSTEAD OF JUST SAVING THEM UP FOR ONE DAY A YEAR. IF YOU KNOW SOMETHING IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO IT, DO TODAY. MY NEW YEAR RESOLUTION IS TO BE AT THE BE AT PEACE WITH THE WORLD. THE FIRST ONE IS FINISH COLLEGE. THAT’S THAT’S LIKE BOTTOM LINE, WORK IN THE FIELD WOULD BE THE SECOND GOAL AND JUST KEEP GROWING. IF YOU HAVE RESOLVED TO GET OUTDOORS MORE, WHY NOT JUST TAKE A HIKE? FIRST DAY HIKES IS A NATIONWIDE INITIATIVE THAT THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES IS TAKING PART IN. SO YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND GO ONLINE TO FIND OUT WHERE YOU CAN DO A SELF-GUIDED TOUR OR A RANGER LED TOUR. AND IT RUNS THROUGH JANUARY THE 2ND H

    Getting fit, healthy is a common New Year’s resolution. Here’s how to actually find success

    Updated: 10:38 AM EST Jan 4, 2026

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    People typically consider setting goals at the new year, so how does one find success?When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, many people got up early Thursday morning with a goal of getting fit in 2026.At Planet Fitness in Towson, Maryland, Tyrell Wheeler said consistency helped him change more than his body — it changed his life.”With my career, with my schooling, with my family, it just makes me want to go harder in every aspect of my life,” Wheeler said.On New Year’s Day about three years ago, Wheeler set out to “(go) from a string bean to a mean green.” And, by not giving up, he put on almost 30 pounds of muscle.Quintin Dailey, the gym’s general manager, said the key to making sure you don’t give up within the first month, as he sees most people do, is to find your why.”Once you start to see a change in your body, there’s no stopping there,” Dailey said. “(Find) the why you want to do this: It might be for health, it might be for your mental health, it might be so your family could see you longer, move a little bit better, so you can get stronger. Once you find your why, it becomes a lot easier.” Getting fit is the No. 1 resolution, according to a YouGov survey. Also on the list: Being happy (23%), eating healthier (22%) and saving more money (21%).The survey found adults under 45 are about twice as likely as older Americans to say they will make a New Year’s resolution (43% vs. 21%).”I don’t have a New Year’s resolution. I believe in making plans every day, carrying them out every day, (not) just saving them up for one day a year. If it’s the right thing to do, do it today,” said Bernie Simon, a gym patron.”The first one is finish college, bottom line. Second would be to work in the field. And then, just keep growing,” said Dylan Johnson, a gym patron.

    TOWSON, Md. —

    People typically consider setting goals at the new year, so how does one find success?

    When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, many people got up early Thursday morning with a goal of getting fit in 2026.

    At Planet Fitness in Towson, Maryland, Tyrell Wheeler said consistency helped him change more than his body — it changed his life.

    “With my career, with my schooling, with my family, it just makes me want to go harder in every aspect of my life,” Wheeler said.

    On New Year’s Day about three years ago, Wheeler set out to “(go) from a string bean to a mean green.” And, by not giving up, he put on almost 30 pounds of muscle.

    Quintin Dailey, the gym’s general manager, said the key to making sure you don’t give up within the first month, as he sees most people do, is to find your why.

    “Once you start to see a change in your body, there’s no stopping there,” Dailey said. “(Find) the why you want to do this: It might be for health, it might be for your mental health, it might be so your family could see you longer, move a little bit better, so you can get stronger. Once you find your why, it becomes a lot easier.”

    Getting fit is the No. 1 resolution, according to a YouGov survey. Also on the list: Being happy (23%), eating healthier (22%) and saving more money (21%).

    The survey found adults under 45 are about twice as likely as older Americans to say they will make a New Year’s resolution (43% vs. 21%).

    “I don’t have a New Year’s resolution. I believe in making plans every day, carrying them out every day, (not) just saving them up for one day a year. If it’s the right thing to do, do it today,” said Bernie Simon, a gym patron.

    “The first one is finish college, bottom line. Second would be to work in the field. And then, just keep growing,” said Dylan Johnson, a gym patron.

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  • ‘Got to get the new year started off right’: Thousands participate in District’s Fresh Start 5K – WTOP News

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    Thousands of runners and walkers in the District started their New Year’s Day early and took part in the FITDC Fresh Start 5K.

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    Thousands run in DC’s ‘Fresh Start 5K’

    While many in the D.C. region stayed up late Wednesday night welcoming in the new year, thousands in the District started the day early and took part in the FITDC Fresh Start 5K.

    Yes, those walking and running in the 12th annual event were putting their best foot forward in 2026, but their feet, hands, ears and everything else was freezing. The temperature at the starting line on the Frederick Douglas Memorial Bridge was 27 and it felt like 15 degrees.

    “I just got to get the new year started off right,” Terry Manago said. “This is my third time.”

    In preparation for her early run, Manago went to bed just after midnight, closing out a night of watching Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper on CNN’s New Year’s Eve coverage.

    Roderick Adams woke up early on New Year’s Day for his IT job at Metro. Adams told WTOP he was taking part in the 5K during his lunch break.

    “I’ve been up since 6:30,” Adams said. “This actually is going to be my first time.”

    Hours ahead of the race, there were lots of volunteers setting up tables and tents before the walkers and runners arrived.

    One of the volunteers, Ivone Gopaul, said she was there with friends, who decided to forfeit their parties and alcoholic beverages this year.

    While they might have skipped parties, volunteer Jay Atchley couldn’t wait to see the Stranger Things finale on Netflix.

    “I went to bed around 1 o’clock probably,” Atchley said.

    Atchley wouldn’t give any spoilers, but did shake their head and said, “It was a surprising ending, that’s for sure.”

    Thousands in the District got up early on the New Year’s Day to take part in the FITDC Fresh Start 5K.
    (WTOP/Jimmy Alexander)

    WTOP/Jimmy Alexander

    runners participate in fresh start 5k
    Yes, those walking and running in the 12th annual event were putting their best foot forward in 2026, but their feet, hands, ears and everything else was freezing.
    (WTOP/Jimmy Alexander)

    WTOP/Jimmy Alexander

    Mayor Muriel Bowser lined up with other participants of the Fresh Start 5K.
    D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser lined up with other participants of the Fresh Start 5K.
    (WTOP/Jimmy Alexander)

    WTOP/Jimmy Alexander

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    Jimmy Alexander

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  • Blac Chyna Reveals Scary Breast Reduction Surgery Complications! – Perez Hilton

    Blac Chyna Reveals Scary Breast Reduction Surgery Complications! – Perez Hilton

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    Blac Chyna is getting very real about a very serious thing that affected her this year.

    On Sunday afternoon, just before the New Year kicked off later that evening at midnight, the 35-year-old influencer took to Instagram with a revelation about her health. And it centered on complications that came about as a result of the breast reduction surgery she had earlier this year! Whoa!

    Related: Blac Chyna & Tyga Force Guests to Sign $500K NDA To Attend Son King Cairo’s Baptism!

    Speaking directly to the camera in a black-and-white video for her IG followers, the star — whose real name is Angela White — began by wishing everybody a Happy New Year’s ahead. Then, she went in:

    “Quick story time about the breasts. So, earlier this year, I was like, ‘you know what, I wanna take out my boobs. I’m over it I’m kinda tired of the fake look they’re too big for my body, too big for my frame and it just doesn’t fit me as a person anymore.’”

    Basically, Dream‘s momma was advised by doctors to go “smaller, and then smaller [again]” so as not to leave sagging or loosened skin and to give it time to retract back to its natural state. So, at first, she agreed to go down to 385cc on her breast implants from the initial 585cc. But that didn’t work out so well! Sadly, her left breast “contracted around the implant” after it was put in, and that created a seriously “painful” situation within her body.

    Oh no!

    She explained that the breast became “encapsulated,” telling her followers:

    “One of the worst things that could happen happened. One of my breasts got encapsulated. … This is something that can happen whenever you do surgery. … All of the times I’ve had my breasts done, it’s never happened.”

    Then, back on December 21 — so less than two weeks ago — Chyna went through her second breast reduction surgery and got the implants down to 190cc. They aren’t completely removed, though, as she noted:

    “My doctor told me if I don’t do some type of implant, basically, my boobs are just gonna be mush.”

    Ugh!

    From here, Chyna is expecting to have another breast implant surgery within the next ten years in order to help with “upkeep,” as she termed it. But looking ahead, she is happy that she seems to be on the right track with her health, and getting back to her natural body. She concluded:

    “All in all, though, I’m very very happy. I’m excited because I’m finally part of the Itty Bitty Titty Committee. … I’m excited for 2024. 2023 really showed me a lot about myself and you guys were all like right there and supporting me.”

    You can watch the full thing (below):

    Later on, she even shared a video of herself purchasing new running shoes at a sporting goods store! So she’s really committed to going after her health in the New Year! Ch-ch-check that out (below):

    Love that for her!

    We just hope things are now finally smoothed out with her implants and that whole situation. That sounds like quite an ordeal! Ugh! Reactions, Perezcious readers? Share ’em in the comments (below)!

    [Image via Blac Chyna/Instagram]

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    Perez Hilton

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  • This Japanese Word Changed How I Approached My New Year's Resolutions | Entrepreneur

    This Japanese Word Changed How I Approached My New Year's Resolutions | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Ikigai (ee-key-guy) is the Japanese word for the meaning of life. “Iki” means “life,” and “gai” denotes value or worth. It is a philosophy that overlays someone’s passions, skills and money-making capacity with their potential contribution to the world. Each aspect is represented by a circle in a Venn diagram, and where they overlap at the center is one’s ikigai. Ikigai gives a person purpose and inspires them to get out of bed every day.

    When I discovered ikigai, I found that it linked up perfectly with the upper level of Maslow’s five-tier model of the hierarchy of human needs: self-actualization. Many people do not understand what self-actualization means, and even fewer people are able to achieve that level of personal development. Ikigai makes it more comprehensible. When we are able to work through the four questions of ikigai, we can fill in the gaps of how we are living. As a philosophical formula, it is the perfect way to craft a New Year’s resolution and lay out an approach to fulfill it in the year ahead.

    Related: The Meaning of Life for Entrepreneurs: Find What You Love, Then Share It

    The value proposition of ikigai

    To grasp ikigai, visualize the four overlapping circles representing these questions: What are you passionate about? What are you good at? What can you be paid for? And what is it that you have or can do that the world needs?

    The key to starting the year by using ikigai is seeing how all four circles come together. To answer those questions and discover one’s ikigai, you must, as the ancient Greeks understood, “know yourself.” Knowing yourself is the same as knowing your value proposition. It is why, in the business world, when one knows their value, they should worry less about the competition — they can always come up with a different perspective.

    Where people go wrong is being unable to even identify their passion. Without knowing their passion, they fail on the second layer (expertise) and the third (making money), and so they have no resources to offer something of value to the world. Finding the bottleneck in one’s personal process can define how they strategize putting their New Year’s resolution into action.

    Taking it one bite at a time

    In Chinese, we say “It’s impossible to become fat with just one mouthful.” Or in English, “Rome was not built in one day.” There is no rush. Knowing the ikigai process will help individuals understand their next bite as they contemplate their broader objective. Similarly, in business, there is always some bottleneck in the supply chain.

    In ikigai, the first link in the chain is identifying your passion. Think about it in terms of attention. Google’s 2017 research paper, “Attention Is All You Need,” introduced a deep learning architecture that revolutionized artificial intelligence and laid the foundation for AI in its current form. It also made it very fashionable to say that attention is everything.

    But everything does start from attention, which means it starts from passion. We can focus on the negative, but even that form of attention is not dichotomous. Las Vegas was built in the imagination before it was physically built. Starbucks changed coffee culture forever when it became the “third place” — that space between home and work where people enjoy coffee and life outside home or office. Both started as an idea. Identify where your attention often goes, what excites your imagination, and you have your passion.

    Related: Happy New Year! Now, How Exactly, Are You Going to Make Those Resolutions Stick?

    Working through the layers

    My passion is to use my expertise in strategy development to help people, so the next step for me is to establish authority through the classic rhetorical triangle: by building trust and credibility (ethos); appealing to emotion (pathos); and appealing to the audience’s intellect (logos). That is how I map out expertise so that it will be easier for others to accept what I promote.

    If you are passionate about organic coffee, then go to that industry to see how other people make money. If expertise is missing, then take steps to develop it. Ideally, that would have been your New Year’s resolution — but it is not too late to shift focus.

    When we address the third aspect of ikigai, making money, we want to get our mentality right. I tell the people who come to me for help that they are not going to be a slave for money — but the master of it. To realize the meaning of life, we need money. That is just the reality of our world. Then, once we have addressed any reticence around money, we can focus on how we are going to have a global impact.

    Enacting your New Year’s resolution

    The last piece of the ikigai puzzle can be the easiest one. What can you do to help change the world? Once you have answered the first three questions, finding the affinity between what you do and what the world needs is usually not difficult. Ikigai assumes the intrinsic connection between personal fulfillment and social contribution. If you have identified what you love and what the world needs, the next logical step should be quite obvious.

    For instance, if someone has a passion for dogs and wants to utilize the ikigai philosophy, they could put themselves in a position to understand any gaps in the market. Once they develop their expertise, it is time to find a way to make money from their passion — so they could create a monetized YouTube channel dedicated to dogs. Then, they would use that platform to educate viewers on dog adoption, health, grooming or however else they can serve the market. Wherever one is weak in this example, that ought to be the focus of their New Year’s resolution and beyond.

    It is safe to assume that most people have not found their ikigai yet, so the new year is the perfect time to begin to put the four aspects together, one layer at a time. In this Japanese philosophy and model, the value of life is hidden in plain sight and is awaiting your discovery in 2024.

    Related: Why Most New Year’s Resolutions Fail and What You Should Do Instead

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    Simin Cai, Ph.D.

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  • 50 Questions to Ask Your Business Before the New Year | Entrepreneur

    50 Questions to Ask Your Business Before the New Year | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    We naturally begin to review things as our focus shifts to the new year (or a new fiscal year in any season). Assessing, lamenting, dreaming, dreading… Maybe it’s a big initiative that someone in your leadership is spearheading, or maybe it’s something entirely your responsibility to steer.

    Regardless, I wanted to create a set of comprehensive prompts, written in plain language, that hopefully stir up some fruitful reflection, as well as a way to summarize and prioritize them into goals at the end. I’ve collected the prompts into categories to keep us focused.

    The goal isn’t to have a thoughtful response to every prompt but to pay attention to which prompts resonate most with you — and why. Every stone you turn over won’t uncover a gem, but one of them will, and that’s all that matters.

    Brand identity

    1. As our brand leaders, what do we value most in the world?

    2. How would the world be different if our brand grew to become a household name?

    3. If our brand were a person, how would we describe its personality?

    4. How would an outsider describe what makes us unique?

    5. Does our brand reflect the needs and aspirations of our target audience?

    Competitive brandscape

    6. Which of our competitors do we want to become more like? (Think of these as a “north star.”)

    7. Which of our competitors do we want to become less like? (We call this a “south star.”)

    8. Has our market position changed over the past year? How so?

    9. What aspects of our company truly differentiate us from our competitors? List everything that comes to mind.

    10. Are there any emerging trends in our industry that we should consider embracing in the year ahead?

    Last year’s brand performance

    11. What achievements are we most proud of in the past year?

    12. Which strategies or initiatives were most successful?

    13. What were some of our most frustrating setbacks or obstacles?

    14. How have our customers’ perceptions of our brand changed?

    15. In the last year, have we received helpful customer feedback?

    Related: Your Most Burning Questions About Personal Branding, Answered

    Customer insights

    16. How would you describe our ideal customer? Get granular.

    17. What does our customer want? And what do they want more than that? (Keep asking that second question until you run out of responses.)

    18. Where do our customers tend to hang out?

    19. How do our customers prefer to interact with us?

    20. What’s the health of our touchpoints with customers? (Think customer service, support, etc.)

    Talk tracks and messaging

    21. Are we speaking our customer’s language?

    22. Are we offering enough consistency and variety in our messaging?

    23. When did we compellingly tell our brand’s story last?

    24. Does content marketing play a role in our communications strategy? Should it?

    25. Are there words or phrases we consistently use that we should rework?

    Digital presence and social media

    26. In the last year, how have we tried to improve our SEO?

    27. Is our website effective in converting visitors?

    28. Which social platforms seem most beneficial for our brand to interact with prospective customers?

    29. Do we have a content calendar or rhythm to posting on socials?

    30. How can we be more consistent on these platforms?

    Product and service evaluation

    31. How would you rate our product/service’s ability to meet customer expectations?

    32. In the last year, what feedback have we received about our offerings?

    33. How can we enhance our product/service quality?

    34. Is there anything we can wrap-around our product/service to delight our customers?

    35. Are there opportunities to flex from predominantly service into a product, or vice versa?

    Internal culture

    36. Does our internal culture reflect the diversity of our customer base?

    37. How aligned is our team around our brand values?

    38. Does our team feel engaged and motivated, or perhaps lacking in certain areas?

    39. What professional development opportunities can we provide in the next year?

    40. How can we actively improve our recruitment and retention?

    Financial health

    41. What is the current financial health of our brand?

    42. Are we charging enough (or too much) for our product/service?

    43. Are there any creative ways to reallocate our budget to improve our operations next year?

    44. Which new revenue streams could we explore?

    45. What are our financial goals for the upcoming year?

    Related: How to Ask Yourself Better Questions in the New Year

    Innovation

    46. What new cultural trends should we prepare for? (Think AI, Web3, etc.)

    47. How can we promote a culture of innovation within our company?

    48. Are there any strategic partnerships that could benefit our brand?

    49. How will we measure success in the coming year? Should we schedule quarterly reviews of these questions?

    And lastly — read through all of your responses to the previous 49 prompts and:

    50. Dream up a list of five goals for the next year. Get specific.

    Take the guardrails off your mind momentarily and allow yourself to dream big. We often overestimate what we can get done in a week but underestimate what can happen in a year. Dream dreams that your future self might thank you for. Be specific. Use measurable language.

    Related: Setting Measurable Goals Is Critical to Your Strategic Plan (and Your Success). Here’s Why.

    After you have your five goals, prioritize them, listing them in order of significance and how impactful they’ll be to your brand’s growth over the next 12 months. Then, cross out the bottom two.

    This will provide focus and keep three primary objectives at the front and center for you. Now that you have your top three, write the first actionable step under each. What’s the smallest — but most apparent — step you can take towards each goal?

    And look at that: You’re already on your way to a brighter year ahead.

    What’s the best that could happen?

    Related: 16 Powerful Quotes to Unlock Change in the New Year

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    John Emery

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  • 3 Easy New Year’s Resolutions Every Business Owner Should Make in 2023

    3 Easy New Year’s Resolutions Every Business Owner Should Make in 2023

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    New year’s resolutions are a bit of a joke these days. Let’s be honest. To the point that breaking them seems par for the course. Only 9-12% of the 41% of Americans who make resolutions in the first place follow through with them.

    As business owners, we face this every year too. We set goals for our team, or we have growth forecasts to hit. Right from the jump, we commit ourselves to deliver a long list of lofty promises.

    And do we come through?

    It would be very glib of me to accuse you of writing checks your…um…”bottom” can’t cash. But statistically, that’s precisely what you’re doing. In the warm, cozy confines of the Christmas holidays and new year celebrations, you concoct all of these wonderful new milestones for you and your business.

    Then reality hits. The day-to-day operational issues, supplier delays and client requests. They all conspire to slow your progress to a crawl. Before you know it, you’re preparing for Christmas again, having hardly achieved any of it!

    Related: 10 New Year’s Resolutions Entrepreneurs Should Make Every Year

    The problem is that you tried to change too much!

    We all look for magic bullet solutions, but your mind is just not set up to cope with massive and sudden changes. As much as 97% of your decision-making is done subconsciously. That means that no matter how strong your intellectual resolve is — unless you can internalize your intentions and communicate them favorably to your subconscious — you’re unlikely to see them to fruition.

    You might think that working on your subconscious is a personal indulgence you don’t have time for, but trust me: you have to. Like it or not, your business is an extension of you. It exists because you created it and gave it purpose.

    If you are locked in a personal battle between your consciously held desires and your subconscious emotional programming, your business will rapidly lose direction and focus.

    So with that said, here are three easy new years resolutions that every business owner should make in 2023.

    1. Make ‘check-ins’ a part of your everyday routine

    What do I mean by this?

    I’m talking about taking five or ten minutes twice daily to take yourself off to a quiet space and check in with yourself.

    We can often become derailed as we go through our day. We unknowingly carry the baggage of the various issues we encounter into our subsequent decisions on unrelated matters.

    By checking in regularly, you’ll be able to hear and let go of your frustrations. Your ‘stuck states’ will be freed, enabling you to address your needs with a level head. Thus improving your ability to lead and your team’s ability to deliver.

    Related: This is Why Entrepreneurs Seriously Need to Take a Break

    2. Take regular ‘VIP Days’

    I do this at least once or twice a month, but it’s crucial in getting that 97% of your brain onboard.

    A VIP day involves you indulging in your favorite things to do. This could be shopping, a spa treatment, going to your favorite restaurant for lunch…anything.

    A big part of why you face so much internal resistance to change is because you are hardwired (thanks to millions of years of inherited, genetic wisdom) to resist it. The change represents the unknown, and the unknown is unsafe!

    Bearing in mind that this simple reasoning pre-dates language, reasoning and certainly globalization. It simply doesn’t have the awareness that your conscious mind does. What taking a VIP day will do for you is show your subconscious that you are a person who has taken chances and they have given your more security. Not less.

    A significant point of resistance to growth for so many of us is that we simply do not see ourselves as successful. By enforcing the taking of regular VIP days, you’re actively stepping into becoming that new person holistically. And your subconscious will notice.

    Related: Would You Rather Change or Let Your Business Die?

    3. Set micro-goals for your business

    It’s easy to drag everyone into a meeting on their first day at work of the new year and proclaim that “this year we’re going to aim to double growth in sales!” before dusting your hands off and returning to your office.

    Setting top-level goals is your responsibility, sure. But you won’t get there in one leap!

    Going back to what I just said about your subconscious programming. Looking at a high-level goal like that, with no conceivable way to break it down, is simply going to result in overwhelm for you and your team. You need to think about the lower-level steps along the way to achieving that end result and then walk those through with your team.

    Related: Do You Have a Love/Hate Relationship With Goals?

    Of course: delegate operational responsibility for them, but recognize your responsibility to understand what they are in the first place! When everyone can see the path clearly, understand precisely how to execute their part in it and feel confident in their ability to do so: you’ll be unstoppable.

    Limiting these to three and keeping them simple is to avoid overcommitting yourself and risking a shutdown. The reason for giving your three personal resolutions (rather than ones for your business directly) is to better resource you in terms of your mental resilience so that you can handle whatever comes your way.

    Make no mistake: the challenges of 2022 are likely to continue well into 2023. The best way to hedge against them is by better equipping yourself with the internal resources to guide your team decisively.

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    Daniel Mangena

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  • Has Dry January Really Lifted Non-Alcoholic Beverage Makers’ Spirits?

    Has Dry January Really Lifted Non-Alcoholic Beverage Makers’ Spirits?

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    Dry January is just about wrapped, but for the non-alcoholic-beverage industry, returns have been anything but sobering. In recent years, a bumper crop of near-beer manufacturers, booze-agnostic distilleries and boutique-seltzer brands — among other similar upstarts — has reaped the rewards of folks generally looking to dry out or augment their consumption. And as we get deeper into this pandemic, there’s even more of a clamoring for cleaner alternatives that still approach the sensation of an intoxicating pint or snifter.


    Courtesy of BrewDog

    Entrepreneur spoke with representatives from four companies who went into 2021 with a vested interest in appealing to both passingly sober-curious and resolutely reformed consumers about marketing around Dry January with an eye on long-term customer retention. The bottom line? Their glasses are definitely more than half-full.

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    Kenny Herzog

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  • 10 New Year’s Resolutions Entrepreneurs Should Make Every Year

    10 New Year’s Resolutions Entrepreneurs Should Make Every Year

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    As we rapidly approach the New Year, it’s the time to start thinking about those resolutions that we’ll work on in 2016. The problem with resolutions is that they often fail because we’ll never reach these unreasonable and unrealistic goals. We’re entrepreneurs, we always try and conquer the unconquerable!


    shutterstock

    However, if you set goals that are achievable if you stretch yourself, New Year’s Resolutions can help you gain perspective and achieve goals that can make you a stronger individual both personally and professionally.

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    John Rampton

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  • 8 Ways You Can Use Science to Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Stick

    8 Ways You Can Use Science to Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Stick

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    If you’re like around half of the country, then you’re probably already making New Year’s resolutions like losing weight, getting organized, spending less money and saving more and living life the fullest.


    fotosipsak | Getty Images

    While admirable, only 8 percent of people are successful in achieving their resolutions. If you want to join that exclusive group, then take these eight approaches for making your New Year’s resolutions stick.

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    John Rampton

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  • Most New Year’s Resolutions Fail — But Here Are 5 You’ll Actually Keep

    Most New Year’s Resolutions Fail — But Here Are 5 You’ll Actually Keep

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    Every year, I make a bunch of lofty New Year’s resolutions, and every year I accomplish approximately zero of them.

    Lose 30 pounds. Write a novel. Increase my income 2x. Convince my wife to get a third cat. These all sound like good ideas at 11:55 pm on December 31st, but then life happens, priorities change, and my resolutions take a backseat to watching football games on my couch and enjoying the occasional apple fritter.

    But I am not alone in my New Year’s resolution dissolution.

    According to a University of Scranton study, only 8% of Americans feel they’re successful in keeping their resolutions by the end of the year.

    This isn’t because we’re all lazy or procrastinators. Many of us are just too ambitious with our aspirations. Not only do we bite off more than can chew—we choke on our hubris.

    But author and thought leader Amy Morin says there is a different way to approach New Year’s resolutions. Morin, a psychotherapist, and editor-in-chief of Verywell Mind, is an expert on what mentally-strong and disciplined people do. In fact, she’s written four bestselling books on the subject. Her Ted Talk is one of the most watched, with 22 million views on YouTube.

    Morin says we often sabotage ourselves by creating vague or unrealistic goals. I spoke with her on the podcast Write About Now.

    Here are some smart strategies for making, not breaking, resolutions in 2023.

    Related: Happy New Year’s Eve? Many Business Owners Think It’s The Worst Night of The Year. Here’s Why — And What I Told My Clients to Change Their Minds.

    1. Write your resolution down

    Rather than just starting all willy-nilly on January 1, make a realistic plan first. Most people start the New Year’s resolutions without a plan and then wonder why they failed.

    “Write it down. There’s something about seeing it on paper that makes it more real to us,” Morin says.

    She also advises saying your resolution out loud to your friends, making sure to be as specific as possible.

    “There’s some evidence that if you go around telling people like, ‘I’m gonna get a beach body next year,’ it’s almost like your brain thinks you already did it. So then you don’t put in as much effort,” Morin says. “It’s better if you talk to people about what you’re going to do to reach that goal, saying, ‘Here’s what I am going to do.’”

    2. Set 30-day challenges, not 365-day goals

    Morin is a fan of giving yourself mini, 30-day practical, achievable challenges rather than mammoth, year-long ordeals you’ll need more time to finish.

    “One of the problems with big resolutions is we think I’ll put that off until later, and then before you know it, the year’s gone,” says Morin.

    Better to give yourself a month to create some sort of change, whether that’s getting firmer abs or reading more books. Thirty-day challenges are easier to start and finish because you know they’re not going to last forever. They’re also easier to repeat.

    3. Take two minutes a day to be more grateful

    When I first heard this, I rolled my eyes a little. Gratitude is one of those New Age buzzwords like “abundance” that makes me a little dry heave-y. But Morin says gratitude is one of “the most underrated superpowers there is.” The simple act of acknowledging what you’re grateful for each day can make you happier, healthier, and even sleep better.

    In a study at the University of California, participants were asked to write a few sentences each week. One group wrote about things they were grateful for, and another about things that bothered them. After ten weeks, those who wrote about gratitude were more optimistic and felt better about themselves. They also worked out more and had fewer visits to the doctor than those who focused on things that pissed them off.

    4. Reach out to a friend every day

    “In today’s world, I don’t think we value social connection with our friends nearly enough,” Morin says.

    She recommends reaching out to a friend daily, even if it’s just texting them a funny meme. Some friends might not reciprocate, but most people will be happy to hear from you. “They’re looking for that in their lives,” Morin says, “and they’ll notice it puts them in a better mood.”

    Getting in touch with friends will also help recharge your battery. It’s far too easy to get so caught up in daily work stress, but making time for a friend puts things in perspective and makes you realize who and what’s important.

    5. Set realistic timelines

    If you’re aiming for something big, like writing a book or doing a Ted Talk, Morin recommends giving yourself a reasonable timeline.

    For example, if you want to write a book in a year, figure out how many days a week you would have to write, and how many words you would have to write a day to get it done. “And figure out how you’re going to keep track of this,” Morin says. It might be a paper calendar on your fridge or one of those desk calendars from the 90s. Something about having a physical thing where you chart your progress helps keep you on track and feel like you’re achieving something.

    No matter what your resolution is, Morin says don’t give up on it so fast.

    “You can always shift your resolution, come up with a slightly different plan, or figure out how to say motivated,” she says. “Don’t give up on it just because it’s not working out in the first couple of weeks or months.”

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    Jonathan Small

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  • How to Make Sure Your New Year’s Resolution Becomes a Reality

    How to Make Sure Your New Year’s Resolution Becomes a Reality

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    It’s that time again! It’s a new year, and even though we’ve faced some challenges in years past, some of us still have high hopes for the future.

    So for those of you that have shouted your New Year’s resolution from the rooftops (and those of you that are keeping it to yourself), here’s how you can ensure you actually make your goals a reality this time around.

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    Desiree' Stapleton

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  • 5 Things Every Entrepreneur Should Do This Holiday Season

    5 Things Every Entrepreneur Should Do This Holiday Season

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    With the holiday season upon us and the end of another year quickly approaching, it can cause frenetic feelings about wrapping up final projects. On the other hand, it may offer a chance to reflect on how far we’ve come since January.

    Most of us fall somewhere in between, and it can be easy to lose focus as December 31 approaches. However, this holiday season, carve out time to tackle a few to-dos that will set you up nicely for the year ahead, give you space to think about what you’ve already achieved and prepare you for 2023.

    Related: 5 Things Entrepreneurs Should Focus on During the Holidays

    1. Write three goals you want to accomplish

    Whether you have ongoing monthly or quarterly goals, it’s wise to set three larger goals you want to accomplish in the new year. Consider if you want to switch direction come January or build upon what you’ve already created. Start big. Then, create a strategy with individual milestones to get you where you want to be.

    In business, most goals are attached to revenue but consider alternative perspectives as you plan for the future. What kind of client or service growth do you want to achieve? Do you want to attract a different type of audience? Do you want to add a new skill or certification to your repertoire? Perhaps a goal is to speak at an event or become an influencer in your industry. Whatever you want to achieve, attach your motivating “why” to each goal and map out tangible steps to make it easier to envision.

    Related: This Simple Brain Hack Will Help You Achieve All Your Goals

    2. Declutter your schedule

    Adding new goals and plans to 2023 means you must make room by decluttering your current schedule. The end of the year is an excellent time to review your ongoing meetings and commitments and evaluate where they can be trimmed or deleted altogether. Every entrepreneur knows time is a precious commodity, so to avoid getting burned out, make sure your calendar is full of things that help your growth.

    Simple changes may be to change a weekly meeting to twice a month or shorten regularly scheduled hour meetings to half the time. Take a look at all the organizations — both online and in-person — which may be taking up time with little to no return on investment. Also, consider areas that limit your productivity. Social media is always a common distraction. Although, for many, it’s necessary to maintain a presence online. To keep it a helpful tool (rather than a place for mindless scrolling), schedule specific times when you’ll post and check your channels. Then, step away from social media for the rest of the day.

    Related: 10 Ways to Declutter Without Going Minimalist

    3. Review your budget

    As with decluttering your schedule, take a look at your budget and consider areas that can be eliminated. Are there programs or tools you’re no longer using? Have you put off canceling the free trial on apps or subscriptions that can be better invested elsewhere or budgeted in another way?

    Additionally, auto-pay makes it easy to forget where we spend our money. Take stock of all business auto-payments and see if any can be deactivated. Also, consider other business expenses like online courses, educational or networking events and client meetings. Where do you receive the most value? Weigh each individually to determine if all the resources you’re currently using are still as helpful as they once were. If not, get rid of them and know they’ll always be there should you need them again.

    Related: 5 Ways to Build a Business Budget for Maximum Success

    4. Make a list of all the things you’re thankful for

    Gratitude is the free, quiet booster to success. Plus, it’s easy to obtain. While waiting for your morning coffee to brew or before you dive into answering emails, jot down three things you’re thankful for. Take extra time to reflect and expand your list during the holiday season. Creating a daily gratitude habit isn’t just something to make you feel warm and fuzzy; it can help you focus, increase efficiency and create an abundance mindset.

    Numerous studies illustrate the positive effects of gratitude on the brain. It changes the brain’s makeup and can help us feel more engaged and appreciative, leading to greater productivity, optimism and overall better mental health. Consider the benefits of what starting your day with gratitude could do for your outlook, especially compared to the frenzy we often find ourselves in first thing in the morning.

    Related: Cultivating Gratitude and Happiness Will Boost Your Business

    5. Take time for yourself

    There’s been a cultural shift over the past years from the hustle mentality to a state of self-care. However, for entrepreneurs, sometimes it’s not so easy to slow down. Many times there is no one to delegate work to, which means there’s a difficult balance to sustain a steady workload. Nevertheless, it’s always necessary to take time for yourself. It can seem overwhelming for some, so you’ll have to be intentional in how you want to use the time. Put it on the calendar. Make it a priority.

    Good physical and mental health are two things that are easy to take for granted until they start to fail us. When taking time for yourself, these areas should be at the top of the list. Plan it out, whether it’s a workout at the gym, a walk around the block or a few minutes for stretching and meditation.

    Putting it last on the list means it’s not likely to happen, and burnout could be around the corner. Add time for play and enjoyment into your weekly schedule as well. Essentially, time for yourself, planning or relaxing, must be part of your daily list of to-dos, and what better time to start than the holidays?

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    Kelly Hyman

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