It’s perhaps not very well known, but also an interesting fact, that the month of January is named after the Roman god Janus. This god was known for having two heads, and therefore able to look in two directions at once. A very handy way of reminding ourselves that any planning we do in January could benefit from looking back over the year that’s just gone, as well as looking forward to the one that’s now under way.
Given that planning, and indeed forethought in general, is not one of our favourite activities – how often have you ‘bragged’ that instructions are to be read only if all else fails – it’s no surprise that many business leaders prefer direct action to careful planning.
Planning doesn’t need to be hard
So, if that’s you and you sometimes fire without checking that the gun is both aimed and loaded, why not do things a little differently this year? Planning doesn’t have to be a complicated affair. Very often we derive more benefit from carrying out the process, than we do from the content of what we produce.
Keeping track
At its simplest all you really need to do is work to the parameters of what went well and what could have gone better. Don’t over complicate things – jot down what you would do differently given the chance and what definitely needs repeating in the New Year. In this way, you’re reflecting on what didn’t produce good results and what did. Just committing to doing that in writing will provide you with untold benefits. It will be a good analysis, which will serve you well right now as you set out your strategy for 2023 but will also continue to be helpful as the year progresses and keeping on track inevitably gets more difficult.
Peak fitness
Aspiration in business is most certainly a valuable trait and high energy is definitely a useful thing to carry you over obstacles and hurdles. Equally, it’s essential to learn from the past. As you look up at the mountain you want to climb this year, don’t forget to congratulate yourself on what heights you’ve scaled already.