How to Succeed With Your Small Business Resolutions

How to Succeed With Your Small Business Resolutions

by | Online Business

Michele Duwe from Miss Task | Want to Succeed With Your Resolutions? Start Doing This.
Michele Duwe from Miss Task | Want to Succeed With Your Resolutions? Start Doing This.

How to Succeed With Your Business Resolutions

Succeed with your business resolutions this year by setting standards that stick. You're not alone if you’re tired of starting strong in January only to feel overwhelmed and off-track by February. Research shows that most people abandon their resolutions within just seven days. Why? Decision fatigue, unclear goals, and a lack of practical systems often sabotage the best intentions. But what if this next year could be different? By redefining your approach and focusing on small, consistent changes, you can turn your New Year's resolutions into lasting habits that drive real results in your business growth.

Why Do Resolutions Fail?

Looking back to your previous New Year's business resolutions, how many of them did you set realistic goals. Often, small business owners will use the start of a new year to set business goals that may not have a simple plan that sets them up in the long run for success.

Why can it be so easy to quit? We get down on ourselves and throw up our hands in defeat because sometimes going after our dreams is hard work. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say running small businesses takes up so much energy.  It is easy to put ourselves on an island and forget that we need support. 

Giving up on business goals and New Year's resolutions is a struggle that many people have, don't feel like you're the only one. In fact, studies show that most people give up on their resolutions after just seven days. Seven days! Why is that?

The thought of how will I reach this goal gets in the way, and after a few short days, we stop trying.

When the hard work starts and the excitement has passed, our minds begin the negative chatter. If you’ve not been successful with your small business resolutions in the past, well, you’re not alone. 

New goals open up new opportunities for us to change. If we do not have a strong enough reason for the change, it will be difficult to want to keep after it when overwhelmed and decision fatigue sets in. 

The Solution – Set a New Standard for Your Life

Want to succeed with your business resolutions? Start by making it a new standard for your life. But what is a new standard? Well, standard means It’s just normal for you. 

What will your new standard be? Do you want to become a person who gets up early and incorporates in a mindful morning practice? 

Maybe you want financial stability in your business endeavors. Do you want a peek inside my upcoming year goal setting? I'll put a link to my free resource, which is a Quarterly Planner. 

Each new quarter is a fresh start to set goals.  This was cemented in my brain after reading The 12 Week Year: Get More Done in 12 Weeks than Others Do in 12 Months by Brian Moran. He says, “We mistakenly believe that there is a lot of time left in the year, and we act accordingly. We lack a sense of urgency, not realizing that every week is important, every day is important, every moment is important. Ultimately, effective execution happens daily and weekly!”

What can you do to make that standard happen? What guidelines can you make to set yourself up for success? What guidelines will you follow to be successful?

Making lasting change takes commitment, accountability, and maybe post-it notes around the house to remind you of your commitment and new standards. AND more importantly, on those post-it notes around your home, why was this resolution important to you when you set it at the end of the year?

The Role of Your Future Self

If you’ve been around me for any length of time, you’ll hear me talk about my future self and how I want to feel. This has become my gage. It wasn’t always in the past, but it gave me a different perspective when I began to look at decision-making through the lens of my future self.

This is my personal experience; I’m not a fake it until you make it kind of person. I know integrity is the best way to achieve my goals and commitments. This is where the future self comes into play; when making decisions in my business and life, as much as possible, I look at them as if my future self would thank me for this decision or will she be disappointed. Will she think it necessary to move towards my end goal and my commitment to myself, or did the decision or action set me back?

Small Shifts Lead to Big Results

Have you read the book Atomic Habits? The book is full of amazing points from James Clear. To make the change, you need to do it with a small 1% change every day. 

In our instant gratification minds, we want everything in less time. This causes us to try to change who we are overnight. All from the feeling of excitement of new beginnings, who we will become once we succeed with our resolution. 

We need to look at the new standard we set for ourselves and create sustainable practices. If you want to get more sleep. Go to bed 5 minutes earlier. 

If the goal is a business success as rising entrepreneurs, get clear on how you help your potential clients. 

Circling back to Atomic Habits, if you’ve not read the book, ask Perplexity to give you a summary and the high points, here is the summary that I received.

Ask yourself, “What is one thing specifically I can do today that will move me in the right direction?” This one thing needs to feel like it can be done. Do that until it’s routine, you know your new normal, and change something else. 

Big commitments and changes are made one little step at a time. Clear also says to Focus on 

Systems Over Goals; you know I love this advice. Set up business operations with systems to support your new direction if you want achievable goals.

Here is a quick video to go along with this post. https://youtu.be/r68s8swwM2M 

Do we need a new year to set new standards for ourselves?  I don’t think so. Every day is the perfect time to set a new standard for yourself. Every day is a good day to believe that you can. If we do not have a belief in ourselves, who does? 

We have to want to make the shift more than anything. We have to want it for ourselves, or it will not stick. We must know why we want to change and why it is important to us. Why we are creating a different today. If we are doing it for someone else, it won’t work. We have to want it more. We have to see ourselves changing. Holding ourselves accountable for the positive impact we are willing to create. Do it for you.

Little Side Note: Want to succeed with your resolutions? Create a win jar. Every single time you stick to your commitment, give yourself a win. Write down your win on scrap paper, colored paper, or whatever paper makes you smile – and collect them. When you fall off track, read your wins, read your why. Know you can do it for you.

How to Succeed With Clear Goals

Here are the key points to succeed in setting clear, achievable goals.

  • Give yourself grace on the hard days.
  • One bad day does not equal failure; it provides valuable insights into areas to develop new skills and work through the setbacks.
  • A new standard will become your new normal.
  • Look through the lens of your future self when making decisions.
  • One small change daily will gain you more confidence in your new standard way of life.
  • What is one thing, not twenty, that will help keep you moving through change?
  • Create a win jar and celebrate every single success when you feel like giving up.
  • Every day is a good day to start a new standard for yourself.
Michele Duwe from Miss Task | Want to Succeed With Your Resolutions? Start Doing This.

Time To Wrap This Up: Succeed With Your Business Resolutions

It does not matter if you refer to them as New Year resolutions or smart goals; both are most successful when you take action on a regular basis. When you put together a list of top reasons you think making this personal life change is a good idea. When you take a closer look at why you have not been able to succeed with your resolutions in previous years from a place of curiosity instead of judgment, that is a great way to help history not repeat itself. I hope that you find this valuable. Thank you for spending time with me. I appreciate you, and I hope you make it a wonderful week.

Overplanning Crushing Your Dreams?

Overplanning Crushing Your Dreams?

by | Planning-Organization-Productivity, Online Business

Michele Duwe from Miss Task | Overplanning Crushing Your Dreams?

You’ve got big dreams, a vision board full of inspiring ideas, and the determination to make it happen. But here’s the hard truth: if you spend too much time crafting the “perfect plan” and not taking action, overplanning might be holding you back and crushing your dreams. Successful people know this: the first step toward achieving your goals isn’t about creating a flawless strategy—it’s about taking action, even if it’s imperfect.

So, let me ask: Are you stuck perfecting the plan, or are you moving toward your dream life? Let’s talk about how overplanning could be crushing your progress and how to get out of your way finally.

Hello, friend. Let’s talk about something I see too often among small business owners and entrepreneurs: overplanning. It’s a habit that can feel like a great place to start, but without the action, it turns into a dream crusher, keeping you stuck instead of moving forward.

Overplanning Crushing Your Dreams: A Cautionary Tale

When the new year rolls around, we often set ambitious yearly goals. We’re full of energy, ready to tackle our big dreams, and we create a solid plan to achieve them. But here’s the cautionary tale: if you spend too much time perfecting your action plan, you might never get to the first step.

Successful people understand that the best thing you can do is take consistent, imperfect action.

Overplanning waters down your progress. Instead of focusing on one area of your life, you end up spreading yourself too thin. And the good news? There’s a powerful way to break this cycle and achieve your dreams on your own terms.

 

The Fear of Failure and the Cycle of Overplanning

Why do we over-plan? Often, it originates from a fear of failure. Our brain tricks us to keep us safe from the unknown; it is the best way to keep us in our comfort zone. We think we'll avoid mistakes if we create a foolproof plan. But in real life, overplanning keeps us stuck in the same place. Becoming our dream crushers.

Instead of taking the next step, we spend a lot of time running through “what if” scenarios in our heads. Attempting to work out every little bit.

Let me tell you: the first step to breaking free is recognizing that overplanning won’t get you to your long term goals. The key is to take action. Even small, daily actions can help you build momentum and accomplish amazing things over time.

The Impact of Overplanning on Your Dream Life

Overplanning doesn’t just slow you down; it can crush your dreams entirely. Imagine you’re trying to build a small business or accomplish a long time goal. You have a vision board filled with inspiring ideas and a sense of purpose guiding you. But instead of taking important steps, you’re stuck refining your plan.

The result? You’re no closer to your goals than when you started. You may feel further away. 

I’ve lived through it, and I’ve learned that the best thing you can do is take the next step, even if it’s not perfect. I still have the mantra on my chalkboard in my office: business goals are achieved with messy, imperfect action.

When you're learning to transition from employee to business owner on a mission to find your true purpose, you have a big dream. It can feel daunting when it feels like the finish line keeps moving.

I've described this as building too many bridges. Another way that I see overplanning too many important goals is trying to run more than one race at a time. Think about this again: you would not attempt to run two or three marathons simultaneously. Think of your goals as marathons. You have a training plan before you start and do the daily hard work to run the race and reach your finish line.

How to Stop Overplanning and Take Action

Here’s the good news: you don’t have to let overplanning crush your dreams. The first place to start is by narrowing your focus. Pick one big goal and break it down into actionable steps. Think about what you can realistically accomplish in the next week. Then, block out time on your calendar to work on those tasks.

If you’re juggling multiple responsibilities in your current situation, consider aligning your projects with your mental bandwidth. For example, if you’re tackling a big project in your personal life, like remodeling your house, choose a smaller, more manageable project for your business. This balance is key to staying on track. Because, friend, decision fatigue is a real thing. Be sure to look at your whole life when deciding to tackle goals.

Building Accountability and Staying Consistent

One powerful way to stay consistent is to bring in an accountability partner. Whether it’s a great friend or a coach, having someone to check in with can help you stay focused. Remember, successful people don’t go it alone. They create systems and find support to help them stay on course.

Another helpful tool is to create a project parking lot. This is a place to store your new goals and big ideas so they don’t distract you from your current priorities. You’ll get to them in time, but for now, keep your focus on one goal at a time.

Michele Duwe from Miss Task | Overplanning Crushing Your Dreams?

Overplanning vs. Taking the Next Step

Overplanning often comes from wanting to reach your full potential. But here’s the truth: you can’t get to mile two without completing mile one. Taking the next step—no matter how small—is the most important thing you can do to move forward.

Think of it this way: every small victory you achieve fuels your journey. Celebrating these wins builds momentum, giving you the energy and motivation to keep going.

Practical Tips for Achieving Your Goals

If you’re ready to stop overplanning and start achieving, here’s what I recommend:

1. Do a Mind Sweep: Write down everything you need to accomplish your goal. Get it all out of your head and onto paper.

2. Prioritize Your Tasks: Decide what’s most important and focus on that first.

3. Create an Action Plan: Block time on your calendar for each task. Remember, your timeline may take longer than expected, so give yourself grace.

4. Stay Accountable: Share your goals with a trusted accountability partner.

5. Focus on Daily Action: Consistent, small steps lead to big results.

Show Up Consistently—Without Doing It All Yourself

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Your Dream Life Is Within Reach

Friend, you have everything you need to achieve every new dream your heart desires. Don’t let overplanning hold you back in your own life. Take the first step, focus on what matters, and watch your big goals become real-life accomplishments. Remember, your dream life is built one step at a time—on your own terms and in your own way.

Guide to New Year Business Planning for Entrepreneurs

Guide to New Year Business Planning for Entrepreneurs

by | Planning-Organization-Productivity

Michele Duwe from Miss Task | Guide to New Year Business Planning for Entrepreneurs

Hey there, friends, are you ready for year-end planning for entrepreneurs? Wow, we are again at that time of year—can you believe it? It’s the perfect time to pause, breathe, and reflect on the year that’s just about to close. I know you’re busy, and I know you’ve got a lot going on. Between balancing your coaching practice, content creation, and everything else in your life—and I want to invite you to join me today in taking time for YOU and your future business growth.

I've created a special two-part podcast series on annual business planning for small business owners. While the episodes are divided into two parts, this blog post will cover everything you need at the start of a new year or quarter. 

In episode 101, we’re diving into end-of-the-year reflection—how to look back on the past year, what worked, what didn’t, and how to gather all those valuable lessons so you can move forward into the new year with clarity and purpose. 

Next time, in part two, episode 102, we’ll be all about visioning and planning—creating that clear and aligned plan for a successful year ahead.

It is a good idea to set aside time on your calendar.

While I would love for you to drop everything to work on planning for the upcoming year the second you come across this blog post. The best way to give this your full attention is to schedule time on your calendar. Maybe even a weekend big picture mini-retreat at the end of the year.

The Mindset Shift – Why Planning Matters for Coaches and Entrepreneurs

Now, before we dive into reflection, let’s talk about something that I know can be a real struggle for many of us—planning. For some, planning comes naturally. But for others, it can feel overwhelming, daunting, and frankly, easy to resist. Planning takes time, focus, and attention. It asks us to sit down, organize our thoughts, and really get clear about what we want—which can feel like a lot, right?

It’s easy to procrastinate or avoid the next year's planning process altogether. Sometimes, it feels simpler to just fly by the seat of your pants and deal with things as they come, burying yourself in the day-to-day operations. I get it. I know exactly how this feels.

But here’s the thing: having a plan in place can make all the difference between feeling scattered and feeling steady. It’s what takes us from reacting to life’s demands to proactively creating the life and small businesses that our hearts desire. My first business plan was to throw spaghetti at the wall to see what stuck. I understand that sometimes you need to go with messy, imperfect actions to avoid procrastination. 

I want to share a bit about my background here. My specialty is becoming a consistent content creator, repurposing content, and setting up content systems. This comes from my background as a certified online business manager, and I can tell you—there’s real power in having systems and plans in place. Because, friend, I've done it both ways. 

It not only gives you focus, but it also gives you the freedom to be more creative and impactful in your work.

So, as we move into this time of reflection, I want you to let go of any resistance you might have to planning. Take a deep breath and know that this is a moment just for you—there’s no right or wrong, just a chance to get clear and prepare for something amazing.

It is a great time to grab your journal, a cup of coffee, or your favorite cozy drink, and let’s dive into this time of reflection together. BTW – Here is the link to my free Quarterly Planner Resource

Reflecting on the Last Year

I want to start by talking about why reflection is so important. It’s easy just to keep moving. To jump into the next big thing without taking a beat to understand what happened over the last 12 months. But reflection is like pressing pause on a movie—you get to zoom in on the details you may have missed when everything was moving fast.

Reflection isn’t about dwelling on what went wrong; it’s about celebrating what went right and finding ways to keep growing.

So let’s begin by celebrating your wins.

Think back over the previous year and answer the following questions. What were some of the wins you experienced? And I want you to think beyond just the big milestones—sometimes, the smallest wins mean the most. Did you launch a new offer? Did you finally hit “record” on a podcast you’d been putting off? Did you reach out to that dream client who ended up loving your coaching program? Did you sit down to write a letter to a friend?

Write these things down. No win is too small. If you have a win journal or win jar, this is a good time to pull it out. Let’s celebrate your progress. It’s funny, we often give ourselves such a hard time over what we didn’t accomplish. But right now, I want you to give yourself some serious credit for everything you did do.

If you're listening to this while you're out and about, download this episode to allow yourself time to pause and reflect.

 

What did you learn?

Now that we’ve got that list of wins in front of us, let’s look at the lessons. I want you to consider what helped make those wins possible. Was it consistency, maybe a new habit you started, or a change in mindset that made all the difference? We’re digging for gold here. By recognizing what made those wins happen, we get clues for what you should double down on next year.

Alright, now that we’ve celebrated, let’s shift our focus to the challenges. What didn’t go as planned this year? We all have those moments—the launch that didn’t go how we thought it would, the project that got pushed back, or maybe when you just felt overwhelmed and exhausted.

I don’t want you to look at these challenges as failures. Instead, think of them as learning experiences. They are simply areas of improvement to point you in the right direction.

Take a minute to jot down those moments that felt hard. What were some things that didn’t work out like you hoped?

And here’s a question I love to ask myself: What could I have done differently? It’s not about beating yourself up; it’s about finding areas for growth. If you look at that challenge from a place of curiosity, what comes up for you?

For instance, I had a project that didn’t quite go as planned because I spread myself too thin. I wanted to tackle everything at once. I learned that focusing on one major thing per quarter is where I thrive. So I took that lesson, and now I’m reminding myself: more focus, less overwhelm.

One more thing I want us to reflect on is distractions—because, as entrepreneurs, let’s be real, distractions are everywhere. Did you stick to your goals this year or hop around from one shiny thing to another? Spending too much time on your social media presence and not enough on developing new products and services?

It happens to all of us. It’s easy to get pulled off course by a new idea, unexpected opportunities, or just the demands of everyday life. Sometimes, those distractions are necessary pivots, but sometimes, they’re just distractions. Keeping us from achieving our business goals.

Take a moment to identify what pulled you away from your goals this year. Was it a shiny object, or was it something that genuinely needed your attention? Understanding where our focus went is powerful because it helps us realign for next year.

Review Key Performance Indicators

And now, it’s time to look at the numbers. I know this part isn’t always the most fun, but numbers tell a story we can’t ignore. 

  • How many clients did you serve this year?
  • What did your profit and expenses look like?
  • How many people have joined your email list?
  • How was your website traffic?

When you dig into these metrics, you can find stories and opportunities. I had a client recently who felt so down about a launch she thought was a failure. But when we looked at her numbers, we found that her conversion rate was actually great. The problem wasn’t with her program; her traffic was low. Knowing that gave her a clear action plan for next time—focus on bringing more people to her email list to warm up before the launch.

So, I want you to be honest with your numbers but also be curious. What are they telling you about your business this year?

Michele Duwe from Miss Task | Guide to New Year Business Planning for Entrepreneurs

Planning Your Best Year: Visioning and Goal Setting for Coaches

Let’s begin by talking about visioning—a word that gets thrown around a lot but is so, so important.

When I say “visioning,” I’m talking about getting crystal clear on what you want the next year, and even the next three years, to look like. This is about letting yourself dream big without the limits of the how. It’s about tapping into your deepest desires for your life and business.

I want you to take a moment right now and picture it.

  • Where do you want to be a year from now?
  • What kind of business do you want to be running?
  • Who are you serving?
  • How are you spending your time?
  • Do you have team members?

What does balance look like for you in both your personal life and your work?

When I do this visioning exercise, I like to take it even further. Not just what I want to achieve but how I want to feel. I want you to get specific here. How do you want to feel when you sit down to work each day? How do you want to feel about your impact with your clients? How do you want your day-to-day life to feel—energetic, calm, purposeful?

Once you’ve got that vision in your mind, write it down. Describe it in detail. Put it all on paper so

it’s no longer just a daydream but something you can look at, touch, and use as a guide.

 

What are your new goals?

Alright, now that you’ve got a clear vision for what you want the next year to look and feel like, it’s time to set some clear goals to bring that vision to life. We will do that by focusing on SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound goals.

Think about what you want more of in your business and personal life. Maybe you want more time freedom or to work with a certain number of clients each month. Or maybe you’re looking to launch that new group program that’s been on your heart. Whatever it is, please write it down, and let’s make it specific.

For example, instead of saying, “I want more clients,” make it SMART: “I will enroll three new coaching clients each quarter.” Instead of “I want to launch a new course,” make it “I will launch a new 8-week group coaching program in May.” When you make your goals specific and measurable, you give yourself a clear target.

Before you pencil in your New Year business plans with your specific goals, I'd like you to block all your vacation time, days out of the office, and no school days for the kids. Why? Because this is a great way to plan your business around your life. It happens that you plan a launch too close to your family vacation.

Book a SMART Goal Session Now!

Strategic Planning

Now, let’s take those goals and break them down into quarterly projects. I know I mentioned this earlier but it bears repeating—the key to avoiding overwhelm is focus. If you have three big projects you want to accomplish over the year, let’s assign one to each quarter. If you have a bigger project, like a course launch or a website rebrand, give it a whole quarter to bring it to life without spreading yourself too thin.

For each project, I want you to start with a mind map. The first step is to take a blank page, write the project name in the center, and start branching off with all the tasks that need to be completed. Here is a link to an earlier post on Mind Mapping To Plan Your Goals.

For example, if your goal is to launch a new course, you might branch out into
“Create course outline,” “Create course content,” “Build a landing page,” “Set up email funnel,” and so on. From there, break those tasks down even further into small, actionable steps.

The idea here is to create a roadmap that makes the big picture manageable and clear. And don’t forget—not every task needs to be done by you. Delegate where you can, and stay in your zone of genius.

Once you’ve mapped out your projects, it’s time to get them scheduled. This is where all the calendar blocking with vacation time from earlier comes into play. Then, plan your projects around those meaningful dates.

Put each task into your calendar or project management system. I love using tools like Asana, Trello, or Notion, but that works too if you prefer a simple paper planner or a Bullet Journal. The key is to give each task a deadline and create a visual representation of what’s ahead so you always know where to focus your energy.

One last thing I want to leave you with before we wrap up today is commitment. Setting goals and making a plan is only part of the process. 

The real magic happens when you commit to taking consistent action. Ask yourself: “Am I fully committed to achieving this goal?” If the answer is yes, then great! 

If not, it’s time to adjust your goal until it’s something you’re ready to go all in on.

And remember, just like with our reflection process, this isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress, showing up, and moving forward, even when it’s hard work. You’ve got this.

Time To Wrap This Up

Thank you so much for spending this time with me today as we created your vision and plan for the year ahead. You’ve already taken such an important step by showing up and doing this work—now it’s time to take what we’ve mapped out and put it into action with a simple to-do list.

If you found helpful things in this post, please share it with a fellow coach or entrepreneur who could use a little extra encouragement in their planning process. 

And if you’re ready to dive even deeper, I’m offering a 90-minute 1:1 SMART Goal Planning Session along with a week of Voxer support to help you turn your vision into a clear, actionable plan.

Until next time, take care of yourself, keep moving forward, and remember—you are capable of creating your business success