Yes, I stole the title for this week’s
post from a fitness center ad. Like clockwork, TV, radio, print ads, social
media, etc. etc. have been inundating us with advertising about health this and
that – fitness this and that – diet this and that – start the year off right. A
new year can mean a new you. Blah Blah Blah.
Enough already. I understand it is
trendy to think about weight loss and better health as the calendar ticks
forward. I’m in my mid-40’s now and as far back as I can remember this has been
a theme at the beginning of a new year. But, what about with your career? What
about your sales position? Have you ever considered taking this approach when
starting the new year off in your role versus with your exercise routine?
My kids are the ones that brought this
to my attention. They were laughing at the volume of messages out there about
health. And then it dawned on me, have I ever considered taking on this theme
with my own career. The more I thought about it the more the answer was yes, I
just didn’t make a big deal over it. Then I thought, why not?
Every year I conduct a personal
retrospect between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I look at how my year went in
direct sales, sales management, overall company performance, and if there was
anything I could have changed to better perform. Between Christmas and New
Year’s, like the same clockwork of fitness advertising, I evaluate what I plan
to do in the coming year. What are my new goals and objectives? What can I do
to be a better sales person or sales manager? What are my personal and family
related goals for the new year? How will my work performance impact my personal
plans? Once I have answers to these questions or plans laid out, I then take a
step back, and appreciate what I can been afforded.
As I look back over the years of my
career, especially the past 12 or so years, I have in fact taken a New Year New
You approach. I kick off the new year more energized because I feel I have a
clear understanding of my goals. Maybe not in reality, but optimistically I
feel like I can leave some baggage behind, and move forward on a clean (or
somewhat cleaner) slate. I’m not foolish to think that the tick of the calendar
forward erases the past. I do however feel, much like the advertising of health
this and that, that it is never too late to make changes, take on new
challenges, and to work on better health. In this case it is my career health.
Don’t be afraid of
self-evaluation. Plan for improvement. Challenge yourself. And believe that a
new year can bring on a new you. Happy New Year and Happy Selling!