The New Year is upon us, and with it comes the inevitable barrage of advice urging us to “embrace change” and “seize new possibilities.” As a business owner, you’re bombarded with articles and conferences promising to propel you into a future of growth and innovation. It’s easier to tune it all out and keep doing things the same old way.
If you prefer to stay right where you are at, are determined not to change a thing, not to improve or grow, then here are my Top 5 Strategies to Be Stagnant in 2024.
1 – Convince yourself that “good enough” is actually good enough.
Let go of your dreams and ambitions, as they are only possible if you choose to improve, to get better, do more. Good enough paid the bills last year (barely) and you don’t really need that new car or lake house. Those are just silly dreams for the ambitious.
2 – Blame it on the economy.
Because we all know that inflation is high and that means that people aren’t spending money anymore. Go the route of the Marketing companies who closed over the last two years because of COVID and the economy, which only made people spend 50% more on Marketing over that time.
3 – Get back in your Comfort Zone.
There may not be as much for you there, but it sure is comforting knowing that what you are currently doing won’t be good enough a year from now. Your comfort is far more important than taking chances doing things you aren’t completely comfortable with.
4 – Keep your hard-earned money under your mattress.
Don’t frivolously invest it in new equipment or team members. You could hire the wrong person, or buy the wrong technology. Better to sit on your money and wait for that perfect moment when you can be 100% sure that your purchase or hire are exactly perfect.
5 – Cross your fingers and hope for things to work out.
We all know that “Hope” is a powerful strategy for the risk-averse, for the leery, for the comfortable, for staying right where you are. This requires the ability to watch from a distance, to avoid going out on a limb, and a willingness to do nothing just in case doing something seems risky.
If these strategies feel like a good fit, we wish you the best of luck in 2024. But if you are one of those who feels the opposite, then let’s grab a cup of coffee and talk about what success can look like in 2024. You can email me at markmcnulty@actioncoach.com.