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Why You Don’t Need a New Year to Make a Fresh New Start

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new year fresh start

Whether it’s a New Year, a birthday or some other standout event on our calendar, these “landmark occasions” can present a great opportunity to take a step back and assess where we are in life.

However while different occasions are useful for measuring timeframes and durations of implementing a new habit, they are not as necessary as people think to make change.

Because certain events throughout the year tend to disrupt our day to day routine with holidays and so forth, we can naturally find ourselves putting more thought than usual into how our lives are shaping out around these times.

Although it is fantastic to use different events as a starting point to set new goals and to assess the direction we are heading in, often people will actually procrastinate and justify to themselves that it is ok to wait until a particular occasion to do something as important as starting to exercise or letting go of a painful experience.

Perhaps you have heard someone talking about starting a new habit and they will say something such as, “next year I will…”? Or, “I can’t wait for this year to be over so I can…!”

Of course if a new habit is so important and is worth implementing at all, it is worth implementing right now. Unfortunately, people can end up putting so much pressure on themselves when these events finally arrive, they can hardly enjoy the occasion.

Today I want to offer you some simple points that can help you make effective change at anytime.

#1. Remember that different occasions are just another day

Sure this is obvious, yet aren’t the obvious things in life the easiest to overlook? When the sun rises everyday of the year, we are presented with a new opportunity for a fresh start, not just on New Years Day. We are a day older everyday, not just on our birthday.

When those special occasions come around, we consciously choose to make a big deal of them. Why not choose to make tomorrow the day you commit to change your life forever.

 

#2. Develop the habit of making daily adjustments

It is easy to fall into the trap of waiting for time off until we put the time aside to assess our lives. Instead of waiting, there is huge power in making it a daily practice to course correct and to make sure we are on track.

It is far more simple to take five minutes out of each day to adjust one millimetre than having to spend months trying to adjust meters to get back on track in a years time.

 

#3. Get a run up 

Choosing to start implementing a new action immediately means that you will not only get to start seeing results sooner, but you will also be days, weeks or even months further ahead than someone who waits for an occasion to come around. It always takes a bit of time to find our feet when starting a new habit, so right now is the perfect time to start if it is really so important to you.

 

#4. Don’t carry the negativity into tomorrow

I once had a draw in our house that I would put all the non important paperwork that I accumulated throughout the week. If I left that draw for a year before I cleaned it out, I dread how much rubbish I would have collected.

This is very similar to those days we have where things don’t quite go to plan. Perhaps we aren’t feeling the best or something happens that causes us to react in a negative way. We might snap at someone or punish ourselves unnecessarily. These days can create cracks. If we don’t give ourselves permission to start fresh and go back and repair even the tiniest cracks on a regular basis, those cracks can grow to such a size that they end up beyond mending.

Just remember that if we can treat each day as an opportunity for a new start and we can become conscious of what we are “tucking away in our draw” each day, we can absolutely set ourselves up for a great future.

Hey I don’t know about you, but I like the odds stacked in my favour. Why not decide to give yourself 365 days of opportunities to live more of a magnificent life.

Here is a picture quote by Joel Brown, the founder of Addicted2Success.com that is so in tune with this article:

Joel Brown Addicted2Success Picture Quote
 

Remember, sharing is caring! If you have any friends and family who would benefit from any of the information in this post, please share it.

 

This article originally appeared on iamnashmackey.com

 

Ignatius (Nash) Mackey is an entrepreneur and young dad with a wide variety of life experience spanning from the military, working in the medical field, hospitality and construction industry. He is a life enthusiast and through his writing, speaking and coaching, he is on a mission to help others release their greatness on earth and live lives of magnificent fulfilment.

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Success Advice

Why One-Size-Fits-All Leadership Will Always Fail (and What Works Instead)

The surprising truth about leadership styles that can make or break your team’s success.

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Why one-size-fits-all leadership doesn’t work
Image Credit: Midjourney

Leadership has always been as much about people as it is about performance. Ken Blanchard, in his influential book, “The One Minute Manager”, put it simply: different strokes for different folks. (more…)

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Success Advice

What Every New CEO Must Do in Their First 100 Days (or Risk Failure)

Your first 100 days as CEO could define your entire legacy, here’s how to make every move count

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Image Credit: Midjourney

When Tim Cook took over from Steve Jobs at Apple, the world watched with bated breath. Jobs wasn’t just a CEO; he was a visionary, an icon, and a legend of innovative leadership. (more…)

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Entrepreneurs

The Leadership Shift Every Company Needs in 2025

Struggling to keep your team engaged? Here’s how leaders can turn frustrated employees into loyal advocates.

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Bridging the gap between employees and employers
Image Credit: Midjourney

In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”

While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.

Why This Gap Exists

Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.

What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.

Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap

Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.

1. Practice Mutual Empathy

Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.

2. Maintain Professional Boundaries

Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.

3. Follow the Golden Rule

Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.

4. Avoid Micromanagement

Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.

5. Empower Employees to Grow

Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.

6. Communicate in All Directions

Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.

7. Overcome Insecurities

Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.

8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship

True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.

9. Eliminate Favoritism

Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.

10. Recognize Efforts Promptly

Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.

11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews

When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.

12. Provide Leadership Development

Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.

13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles

Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.

The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role

Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:

  • Build diverse talent pipelines

  • Embrace flexible work models

  • Design compelling career paths

  • Simplify HR processes

  • Redefine the value HR brings

The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.

Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff

When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.

Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.

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Entrepreneurs

What Makes an Entrepreneurial Leader? Traits of the World’s Best Innovators

Inside the mindset of entrepreneurial leaders who transform risk, passion, and vision into world-changing results.

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entrepreneurial leadership skills and traits
Image Credit: Midjourney

When you think of Richard Branson (Virgin Group), Bill Gates (Microsoft), Steve Jobs (Apple), Rupert Murdoch (News Corporation), and Ted Turner (CNN), one thing becomes clear: they are not just entrepreneurs, they are entrepreneurial leaders. (more…)

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