A new year is like hitting the start-over button in many ways. We get to pause, enjoy the Christmas season and our families, and then launch back into life with renewed energy. Hopefully we have time to pause and think about what this year could mean. For leaders and those looking to get into leadership, these six things can help you have a really impactful year.
1. Pick a theme. Everybody picks a resolution. But it’s a national joke that we all break that resolution in a couple of weeks! So instead of picking a rule that can be easily broken, I suggest that you instead pick a theme for your year. If losing weight is on the list, take a step back and choose the word “Health” for your theme. Because it’s a lot harder to break a theme, you won’t be as discouraged when you slip up through the year. Instead try to focus on several ways that theme can benefit your life and continue living that out throughout 2016.
2. Invest in yourself. As a leader, it’s important that you add value to yourself so that you can add value to the people you lead. We don’t bring time to the marketplace, we bring value. No matter if you are looking to be in leadership or are a seasoned leader, we can all stagnate. It’s important to keep growing and developing. Add value to yourself by reading, listening to podcasts, starting a new habit, meeting new people.
3. Invest in others. It’s also important to invest in others when you’re a leader. Whether that’s through mentoring someone new, joining a Bible study or small group, or volunteering, your time spent in these ways will keep you connected to people and the vision of leadership. If you’re just starting out in your journey, then these can be great ways to start investing and find small opportunities to lead. And if you’ve been in leadership for a while but haven’t worked directly with an individual or group, then I definitely recommend you scale it back and get in touch with people like this!
4. Leave a legacy. I often think about the kind of legacy I will leave when I leave this earth. But that can be an overwhelming thing to tackle in one year! Instead of focusing on such a big vision, try finding a legacy you can leave in 2016. This could be anything from writing a rough draft of a book you’ve been thinking about to volunteering 100 hours at a homeless shelter. [tweetthis display_mode=”box”]When you think about this upcoming year, what do you want to be remembered for and what do you want to remember it for? — Billy Epperhart[/tweetthis]
5. Change your schedule. Switching up your schedule even a little bit can be a way to stay the course and keep your vision—all while coming at it from a new angle. If 2015 was a year of burnout, it might be time to drop something off the schedule. Just make sure that whatever you drop, you replace with something that will rejuvenate you. This could be taking a walk, working out, or even just sitting quietly for an hour. On the other hand, if you left 2015 feeling lackluster about your accomplishments, then try adding something new in. Take a class or find an accountability partner to work out with!
6. Make a new thing. Start the year off by creating something new that you can then develop over the year or the following year. This could be a new product, program, idea, etc. It could be something small or something you physically build. Or it could be something large, like putting together a product that you’ve half-developed in your mind. Get your mental energy flowing in this creative way to really shake this year up and make it exciting. Who knows, what you create might be useful to someone else!
Happy New Year everyone. I hope your 2016 is full of inspiration and growth.
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