Out of the Box

We're just about through our first week of 2021! I strongly considered writing a "New Year, New Me" piece with a business twist, but I thought there may be plenty of that going around. So, that thought lead me too the topic of "Out of the Box." Out of the box thinking can be geared toward New Year's resolutions if you so desire, but how can you act in an exceptional, different way regarding your business? Here are a few ideas to consider...

Take a class
Be honest, when was the last time you took a class or even did an in depth study of the most current practices in your industry? With the rapid growth of accessibility and technology, things may have changed more that you know within the last 5 or even 2 or 3 years. Signing up for a class to learn more about your line of work is a great way to switch up the norm, and it's never a bad thing to further your education.

Learn to say "no"
In many ways, I can see that business owners have the habit of overextending themselves. This in turn can create unnecessary added stress, and less time for you and your business. Does that sound accurate? If so, maybe 2021 is your year of no. Just no, that's it. We've all been going through a lot in the past few weeks and/or months. Remember, it's OK to turn down an invite, request, etc. every now and then.

Past experience
Maybe an outside the box way of thinking has proved effective for you in the past. Think about a few ways you had to come up with a creative solution or plan that turned out to be more successful than anything in the normal realm. Once you have a few ideas, write them down, and build on them. It's quite possible your unconventional thought processes could be the best way to get the job done in the future from now on.

I suppose this post was my effort of thinking a bit differently and tip-toeing on the cardboard boundaries. How do you plan to do and think differently this year? We'd love to hear how you're switching things up!