As I sit here on the third day of January 2016 I have a new enthusiasm for this new year. Last year was a year of trials and setbacks. But it was also a year of blessings. My family and I survived the year without any major health issues. We were able to pay our bills, we had a roof over our heads, and clothes on our back. We had plenty to eat (sometimes too much) an were blessed in other ways.
So, with this year beginning, I look to what changes I want/need to make in my life and business. This blog is called Small Biz Dad because I am not just a small business owner but also a husband and father. I feel like this past year I was meandering through and just reacting to what life handed me. I didn’t have much of a plan and sometimes I felt lost.
Personal Priorities For The New Year
First and foremost I want to grow closer to God. This is an area I can always improve upon. My relationship with God is the most important relationship in my life. I need to improve on my prayer life and my time in The Bible. My plan to do this is to begin each day with quiet time with God. My hope is that starting each day in prayer and reflection will let me grow closer to God and have a positive impact on my day.
My relationship with my wife and children are next in my personal priorities for the new year. I feel that I fall so short in this area. Between my full time job, my small business, and this blog my family sometimes receives the short end of the stick. This year I will make an effort to date my wife again. A regular date night is essential to maintaining a strong relationship with your spouse. I’m going to make an effort so spend more one on one time with my children this year as well. Kids crave that time with their parents and one on one time gives them undivided attention that lets them know they are important to you.
Business Priorities For The New Year
My small business (which I do on the side) has slowed to a crawl. I have several old clients whom I am very appreciative but I would like to expand my client base. I have specialized in one particular type of client and have used zero advertising for new clients. So my first job will be to redesign my business website and then define what types of clients I want to target. My plan is to have this done by February 1st.
Lastly, this blog has to become a priority of the new year. When I started this blog it was an effort to write about business and family. I have found merging those two topics difficult. Business readers don’t care to read about my family or geocaching. People reading about geocaching/family do not care about small business. Near the end of the year I started trying to focus the blog on specific topics. This resulted in my not having a desire to write. You’ll notice I didn’t publish very much in December. So, this year I’m just going to write what I want and if people read it…fine, if not…then that’s ok too.
One Final Priority for the New Year
I have to mention that one goal I have this year is to get healthy. This one is outside the scope of this article because it spans both personal and business. Getting healthy will improve all areas of my life and I’ll be writing a separate post on that soon.
What’s Your Goals/Priority for the New Year?
I’ve told you what I want to accomplish in this new year, now it’s your turn. Leave a comment below and tell me what goals you have for the coming year. Maybe it’s health related, or family. Maybe you want to grow your business or grow spiritually. Leave a comment below and let me know.