Happy New Year! I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday season – and are excited about the prospect of a new year opening up before us. 

Several people have asked me this week “What’s a good way to get the year started off in the right direction for my business.”. And, of course my response is to ask if they are clear about what that direction even is. Businesses should always have a clarity about where they are going – and then the actions about how they want to get there should be relatively clear. But you have to begin with an understanding about where you are going. And THAT’S a strong way to begin the year.

Here are a few helpful pointers that can help you gain some clarity. These are action steps you can take with your team.

1. Revisit your long-term plan.

You should begin each year (or better yet end the year before) by setting aside time to re-look at your long-term plan. (What?!?!?! You don’t have one? Ummmm…contact me!) Consider the most significant 3-5 year goals you have before you. Now, think again about the big milestones that will help you get there.

2. Envision what you want to have accomplished this year.

Get the leadership team together. Imagine your business on December 31st. Your business has just completed an awesome year. You reached those top goals you set for your business. Think about how that feels. Think about what happened to get you there. What elements of your business look different than they did on January 1? What important accomplishments are you most proud of? If you were writing a story about your business and its accomplishments this year, what would the headline be? What goals did you reach? How did you move the needle toward making your longer-term vision a reality? Write these things down. These are the things you’ll be focused on this year.

3. Share it!

Now don’t keep all of this great, exciting news a secret! Make sure that your staff knows what you plan to achieve this year. Get the entire staff together and talk with them about how critical they are to the journey.  Ask them to think about how they as individuals can help make this top goal(s) for this year a reality. Have them write down what part they plan to play, how they will incorporate actions into their work that will help achieve these goals. They key is for them to understand the goals, the direction, and the part they play in making it happen. No small thing! At the end of these exercises your team and your team-players should all have an idea about your business’s BIG goals for the year – and their role in making it happen.

Be clear about your destination. Be clear about the path that will help you get there. And, at the start of each new year, get everyone in your business onto the same page with an aspirational and compelling vision for where the business will end the year. Be clear about So, what’s one of the best ways to get the year started? Think about how you want it to end.