Business is hustle and grind. As you flip from one priority to the next, it can be hard to find time to work on the business rather than in the business. But as Einstein so eloquently shared, doing the same thing but expecting different results is the definition of insanity. If you’re ready to make 2023 a year to remember, keep reading. 

The real magic happens when you step back from the busyness and reflect. Rolling into the end of another calendar year, it’s the perfect time to pause and think. If you planned out your 2022, it can be fun to look back and see how you tracked against those goals. If you didn’t have a written plan, that’s ok too. We have some stellar questions.

We give the same advice to our clients and fellow business owners as we do to ourselves. We always get together as a team to ask a set of vital questions that help them take a glimpse into the future. Sure we’d love to see into the future too, but Halloween’s behind us now. So swap the crystal ball for a magnifying glass and we’ll get on the same page. 

It’s such an honest and easy way to unlock the biggest opportunities that lie ahead. We’ve carved out time this week to take our own medicine. Freud once said, “out of your vulnerabilities will come your strength”, so now is the time for brutal honesty. It might just open the floodgates to a world of untapped possibilities. 

So grab a coffee if you’re brave or maybe something more festive like a beer or wine  if it’s closer to 5. And let’s get started with a laptop or good old fashioned notebook to record your thoughts for this time next year! Here are our top questions that will unlock hidden nuggets of gold:

1. How did your business perform this year?
2. What’s the biggest win you achieved? How did this happen?
3. What surprised you the most?
4. What did you catch yourself struggling with?
5. Did you notice a roadblock pop-up repeatedly? If so, what was it?
6. What’s the biggest thing/lesson you learned in 2022?
7. What are your goals for 2023?
8. What’s the biggest thing you’re the most excited about for 2023?
9. And of course, our personal favourite. When it comes to growth, do you think your brand is helping you as much as it could?

Hope is not a strategy and there are so many lessons to learn from the trenches of 2022. Plus there’s no clear path to supercharging your growth without a frank assessment of where you’ve already been. So we invite you to take a page from our book and analyse your 2022 business adventure with genuine honesty.

The next step is for you to assess your answers:

• The wins
  From the activities that were successful, where can you leverage further business growth? Can you clone this process and build in scalability so you can repeat with ease?

• The losses
  If any items came up that cost you time, sweat, or sleep, what where they? Were there any worries that kept you up at night posing a threat? How can you avoid these potential landmines next year?

• The opportunities
  Can you isolate any opportunities? Even just a 1% improvement made every day will have a tremendous impact on your business. How are your processes? Your solutions? Your resources? And your human power to propel the business forward?

Opportunity is waiting. The world is your oyster and 2023 can be as wild as your imagination. Opportunity dances with those already on the dancefloor, so make sure your business is wearing its metaphorical dancing shoes to be seen by the right sets of eyes.

Sometimes looking backward can feel heavy, confronting, and even tedious. Sifting through the mayhem is the only way to uncover the treasure. It’s a proven method that will ensure you sail into the new year with a strategic mindset in a better, bolder, smarter business vessel that’s navigating towards a brighter horizon. 

With 2023 coming in hot, there’s never been a better time to reach your growth goals. Growing your company starts by elevating your brand! If you’re ready to take your business to the next level, reach out to us at hello@huntandhawk.com and let’s chat. We live for these conversations. Or if you prefer to lurk longer, add us to your inbox by subscribing for more awesome growth ideas and join us Hunt & Hawk on LinkedIn.