Reflecting on entrepreneurial and startup activities of 2015, I’ve put together a few New Year’s resolutions for 2016. Each builds on lessons learned or areas of opportunity identified as well as kept brief and practical for application and completion.
Give responsibly
An entrepreneur I’ve been advising in recent weeks said client prospects often comment on how much value they receive from their exchanges with her; however, it rarely leads to a sale. I told her that giving is great, with givers achieving extraordinary results; however, givers need to be wary of takers and getting burnt out, as outlined in “Give and Take” by Adam Grant. For 2016, I’m applying principles from the book to give for greater impact.
Break the isolation
I can easily spend days in my home office, only venturing out for church and food, as I have in recent weeks. For 2016, I’m scheduling time at co-working spaces, from Upstate NY places to WeWork locations in major cities. Doing so provides more opportunities for inspiration, networking, and support from people who get what it’s like to be an entrepreneur or engaged with startups.
Explore my own Backyard
After researching career opportunities in cities across the United States, I recently decided to relocate near family in Central New York. I was surprised to see significant growth in Upstate and CNY resources for startups, entrepreneurs, makers, and hackers, not to mention the reasonable cost of living that makes bootstrapping more practical. For 2016, I’ll participate in, support, or help expand programs right here at home.
If you’re interested in making New Year’s resolutions, consider researching what other entrepreneurs are doing. From articles by business-magazine contributors to posts by new startup founders, great ideas exist out there to help set goals for 2016.
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Guest blog by Brenda Dow (http://brendadow.com), startup adviser, idea facilitator, and entrepreneurial thinker.
