Are you excited about what the new year holds? I am, but then I’m also one who gets excited about Mondays, the first day of a new month, embarking on a new project, beginning a new book … you get the idea. New = fresh start = unlimited possibilities.
Focusing on the Positive
We hear so much about being in a recession and the terrible state of our economy … gloom and doom predictions, followed by news of one crisis after the other. It’s enough to make you want to cancel your newspaper subscription and skip the evening propaganda news. Actually, that’s not such a bad idea … it might improve your outlook!
I don’t mean to be cavalier. Hardship happens. You can be rolling along one day with a good job, and lose it the next. Your business, personal credit, and apparently even your retirement account can evaporate in the blink of an eye. But where do you go from there?
Near the end of 2005, both my husband and I lost our jobs. We expected my job loss, but my husband’s just three months later, came as a complete surprise. In fact, we were out Christmas shopping when he got a “courtesy call” that his entire division was being eliminated immediately. “Merry Christmas!”
A few months later, the credit card companies must have noticed that our employment status had changed. Although never late on payments, we went from having lots of open credit to zero available credit. In hindsight, that was a good thing. At the time, it scared the hell out of us. How do you run a business, make that “two businesses” without credit?
You just do it – whatever it takes.
You focus on the positive, refuse to listen to the naysayers and follow your gut – follow your dreams. As one of our clients is fond of saying, “the only way we’ll fail is if we quit.” That’s been true in our case, and if you have a sustainable business idea/model, I’m certain that it’s true for you too.
2008 began with a dream and goals for business growth.
That goal was accomplished, and we’re busier than we’ve ever been. Express It Write has grown steadily throughout the year and with the launch of Zero To Sixty Marketing LLC in October, we doubled our capacity for new work – also doubled our client base. It’s been an exciting, although sometimes overwhelming process, which has led to new goals for 2009.
Those new goals include working smarter, relying more on our team, continuing to build our team, and setting up systems to get things done more efficiently. We’re planning for continued and sustainable business growth. I think that’s a wiser strategy than planning for a recession. What do you think? What are you planning for this year?
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I think many people fail to focus on the positive things in life and therefore become pessimists. I always try to look on the bright side of life