Welcome to 2021!

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Audio Transcript

Hey, everyone, and welcome to 2021 and the first episode of Mashpod for the year. I hope you all had a great holiday. I know I did. It was nice and relaxing. So where do we kick off? Where do we kick off for 2021? Well, I’m gonna give you six tips on how to get started because your brain might have turned to mush over the holidays or you’re feeling overwhelmed. So let’s start from the beginning, shall we?

Okay. So number one, do you remember our last episode of 2020? We wanted to plan for 2021. We wanted to do a marketing plan. So number one is to look over the marketing plan you did for 2021, the one that you prepared before the holidays. Okay. You didn’t do that? Okay, well, now’s the time to make one. The best time was when we told you in December. The next best time is now. So if you did do it, break those steps down into some small goals and start delegating what you can. January and February are always so completely overwhelming. You can’t do it all. So action the ones you are directly responsible for. And if you’re an employee and not a business owner, this still applies to you because you can look at your personal growth goals and do the same thing, break them down, and then get started.

So number two. Chat to your team leaders. Things may have changed over the break for both you and your team. If you’re a business owner, it’s likely that you didn’t really stop working over the break. So make sure everyone knows what has changed or what the score is on the first day back. This is just as good to catch up with the team as well and see how their holidays went. Check in with everyone. It’s been a few weeks, or even a few months, depending on your business cycle.

Number three. This is always the scary one. Everyone’s looking at their bottom line, especially in post/during COVID times. But it’s invest. Number three is invest. Look at anything that needs upgrading. You might need a new server. You might need to train some staff members, or a staff member might have requested training. New software, updates, whatever. Buy a new chair. We did speak a little bit about this in last year’s planning episode and you’ve likely thought about things you’d like to change over the break because your brain goes into overdrive. Well, mine does. Compare this with your goals that you already set, and see which ones still make sense. This is also a good time to chat to your team as well and see what pain points there are, if any, because they have probably been thinking as well. And when you’re in a vacuum, things become a bit clearer. So yep. Have a chat, have a meeting. Compare everything to your goals and then invest in change.

Number four. This is an obvious one, but make some time to catch up with your clients. They are likely gonna be bursting with ideas, too. And they’ll probably have a list of work that needs doing. Hopefully, they took some stock of their business over the break as well, or made a plan for the new year. So make a time to check in with them, even just a quick email to remind them that you’re back is fine. You can then just prioritize who needs a meeting or a phone call or an in-person chat if you’re able to do that. But yeah, show them the love.

Now, numbers five and six are a bit more personal. They’re not specifically about business, but you still need to sort of take care of yourself.

So number five is do some meal prep. Seriously, the first few weeks and months will just throw you. It takes a little while to get back into a routine, at least it does for me. And you don’t want to fall into the cafe and takeaway trap. So let’s not think about New Year’s resolutions or anything like that. But it’s more about getting back into your routine and maintaining it. So whatever that is for you, just make sure…you don’t have to think about food. You don’t have to think about what you’re having for lunch or where you’re going and things like that. Just keep it simple so you can stay focused. And one thing that sounds scary to some people, especially me, is to actually make sure you stop working to eat lunch. I do it all the time and since I’ve been back at work, I’ve been guilty of it the whole time. But do as I say, not as I do. Yeah, it’s not good for you. Don’t work through lunch and sit at your computer while you’re trying to eat. You won’t digest properly. It’s just no good. So yes, get your meal prep together just so that you can tick all the boxes, kick all the goals, and you don’t have to thing about, “What am I eating for lunch?” And you don’t have to use [inaudible 00:04:54].

Number six. This is not as obvious, but it’s kind of a good one. Clean your desk. Start the new year off without last year’s baggage. If you’re lucky enough to be in a non-lock-down area and you’re back at the office, get rid of all of your 2020 stuff like your vision boards. Get a new journal. I’m thinking not a diary with actual dates in it. Just a journal is fine. I think we all have empty 2020 diaries from last year, so let’s not make that mistake again. But just start fresh. Clean off your desk. Get some new notepads. Sharpen your pencils. Make sure your pens work. If you are still locked down and you’re working from home, this will obviously still work. You wanna clear the Groundhog Day feeling away. Maybe move your desk to another location. Get a new pot plant, or like me, I’m planning on working from a space outdoors for a little bit of time every week. So if that’s just making your phone into a hotspot and working from a nice park if you’ve got good weather, or from a cafe if they’re allowing dine-in. Just things like that can just get your headspace into somewhere new for the new year. So yes, clean your desk.

So that’s it. They’re really simple. Most of them are really obvious. But it is nice to have a handy little list that you can refer to if you’re feeling overwhelmed, because that’s generally what new years do to you. So I’ll just go over them again. So number one, look over your marketing plan. Number two, chat to your team leaders. Number three, invest in your business and your people. Number four, catch up with clients. They are the most important people in your business. And number five and six, meal prep and clean your desk. Make sure your workspace is a pleasant place to be. Yeah, that’s it. I just wanted to welcome everyone back and welcome to Mashpod. We’ve got a couple of cool episodes coming up. So keep an eye on the website and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

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