It’s almost time to say goodbye to 2022. This year’s been one for the business history books with trends (and reversals) that nobody saw coming. However your personal Q1 to Q4 went, let’s all raise a glass to a prosperous 2023 … hey, why is this champagne bottle suddenly 10% more expensive?

You say you wanna resolution: Pick one for your business.

Lasting change: How to make your new goal stick in 2023.

French 75: This easy cocktail is not a champagne to make.

(Source: Shutterstock)

Choose a number and set your sights on reaching it. That’s one example of a New Year’s business resolution, but there are plenty of others.

As with your personal New Year’s resolution, it’s crucial to pick a goal you can realistically achieve. Here are some ideas to consider implementing for 2023.

Refresh Your Marketing Plan

Are you promoting your business sufficiently? Consider hiring a digital marketing agency to put together a strategy and determine the best channels. An in-house team at a major company is often composed of marketing all-stars, but small to medium businesses may not have deep staff expertise in social media, SEO, analytics, content marketing, pay-per-click advertising, and other crucial campaign components.

Boost Your Digital Presence 

Examine your business’s online presence to ensure it remains fresh. Smartphones now account for 59% of global web traffic. Is your website optimized for mobile? If not, Google may downrank it … besides, an outdated site turns off consumers. Check your site on various operating systems and display devices to test compatibility. 

Are you updating content regularly with a blog or newsletter? This will also help your Google rank and keep customers coming back.

Try new forms of advertising and see what sticks. YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram are great venues for building your brand, especially if you want to engage a younger demographic.

Protect Your Data

A vital New Year’s resolution for any business, large or small, is ensuring data security. In the third quarter of 2022, cybercrime jumped an astonishing 167%. While it’s always been a threat, the average data breach in the U.S. is up to $9.4 million in damages.

Along with updating software regularly and hiring a cybersecurity lead or consultant, add security awareness training to keep your employees current on the latest ruses so your business can avoid attacks.

Set Better Deadlines 

Does your business have a problem with chronically late projects? Regular strategizing sessions and a project management professional can help determine what must change. 

Take Care of Yourself

For an entrepreneur, business is life. Being a workaholic can lead to success — it might even be necessary for success — but it can also lead to burnout.

Self-care isn’t an indulgence; you need to take care of yourself so you can take care of business. Delegate tasks appropriately. Make sure to get enough sleep. Exercise regularly, even if that means taking phone calls on the treadmill … which is where you might be for your personal New Year’s resolution anyway.

(Source: Shutterstock)

Dr. Steven Rogelberg is Chancellor’s Professor at UNC Charlotte and former president of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.

I love the idea of New Year’s resolutions in theory, but so often we are not successful in putting them into practice — with most resolutions being tabled or forgotten by February 1. Certainly, personal change can be very hard. But a key reason we are not successful with our resolutions is that they are structured poorly.

How Can Industrial and Organizational Psychology Help?

A resolution is quite simply a goal. And we have studied goals for decades, learning they should be structured in a particular way to increase the chances of success. To motivate and sustain action, resolutions should be:

• Specific: If you state a resolution in very general terms, it’s hard to know exactly what to do and how often to do it. Identity behaviors to change (or start) and include details on what will be required.
• Measurable: To motivate and sustain action, it’s helpful to clearly document our progress — or lack thereof.
• Achievable and realistic: We want to stretch with our resolutions, but if they are too ambitious, it’s easy to fall off the wagon when we don’t see progress, losing our motivation as they seem too daunting.
• Manageable in number: Too many resolutions will require too much work with too little momentum. Key in on one (or maybe two) resolutions, find success, and then you can expand down the road. 
• Relevant: Pick resolutions that truly matter to you. This is critical to maintaining motivation in the face of challenges.

For example, a resolution that will likely not work is, “I want to become a better manager.” 

However, a resolution that can work is, “I will start to have 1:1s with all my people weekly or biweekly for 30 minutes to learn about what’s on their minds and how I can help them. I will keep track of my progress on a spreadsheet, and after three months I will check in with everyone for ideas on how to make our 1:1s even more valuable to them.”

This latter resolution positions you for success as it is specific, measurable, achievable, and highly relevant. Take the challenge and make your resolution stick in 2023 rather than setting yourself up for failure.

(Source: Shutterstock)

Want the perfect tipple to toast with at midnight? Let’s raise a glass to the French 75 cocktail. Named after a World War I-era cannon — because its potency was said to feel like being shelled — and even appearing in Casablanca, this cocktail is an elegant blast from the past.

In a cocktail shaker, combine an ounce of gin (or cognac) with a half ounce of fresh lemon juice and simple syrup along with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled flute or coupe before topping with champagne. Happy New Year!

Written by Jane Meggitt and Aaron Goldfarb. Comic by John McNamee.