New Year Resolutions for the Solopreneur: A More Motivating Way to Set Goals and Objectives for your Business

Setting goals and objectives isn’t one of the more glamorous aspects of running a business. But it’s a way to keep yourself motivated and accountable (to yourself and to those who rely on you to succeed).

To make the arduous task more palatable, why not approach it from a different perspective? Make “New Year’s Resolutions” for your business. Sure, the difference is simply semantics, but words have the power to affect your attitude and enthusiasm.

Here are a few New Year’s Resolutions to consider for your business:

• Lose weight. No, not in pounds, but rather in activities and processes that are dragging you down and holding you back. Reflect on 2011 and make note of anything that you’ve been devoting a bunch of time to, but are getting little or no return from. Then set a date to cut it from your diet.

• Get fit. That’s right, build and tone your professional muscle! Push yourself to learn more and develop your business skills. List some new books you’ll buy, new blogs you’ll subscribe to, workshops you’ll enroll in, webinars you’ll sign up for…

Then there’s the financial fitness component (Is “budget” a four-letter word?). Project your monthly revenues and expenses for the upcoming year. Will they enable to live within your means? Now is the time to take a good, hard look at that. And vow to keep impeccable records throughout the New Year.

• Give back. Volunteer involvement in a community organization is fulfilling and can get you better connected. Just be sure to select a cause you believe in and set expectations up front about the amount of time you’ll be able to commit.

• Be more adventurous. Although cliff diving might not do a lot for your business, going beyond your comfort zone in other ways can. Whether you decide to start tweeting on Twitter, make cold calls, go to a mixer by yourself, start a blog or join a Google Plus hangout, you’ll generate awareness of your brand and increase your professional confidence.

You’ve heard it countless times, “Fail to plan. Plan to fail”, but the cliché’ is dead-on. Although you may not need an excessively elaborate plan for your business in the New Year, you do need to set some goals and determine what actions you’ll take to accomplish them. If you’re as driven as most of the solopreneurs I know, I’m betting your odds of following through with your “resolutions” are rather promising!

What other business resolutions would keep solopreneurs on track in the New Year?