Making New Year’s resolutions is all well and good, but can you remember what goals you set yourself this time last year? I know I’m struggling. I like the idea of setting a yearly mantra instead – something that dictates every decision you make.
I got the idea from an interview with Reshma Chamberlin, an entrepreneur based in the United States, who has found setting a yearly mantra truly transformative in the way that she conducts her business.
Speaking with the Fast Company website, Chamberlin explained that her mantra for 2017 was “Ask and you shall receive”. It led to her becoming cofounder of direct-to-customer swimwear company, Summersalt.
It followed a chance meeting with Lori Coulter, who shared with Chamberlin her business plan for Summersalt. After hearing the idea, Chamberlin immediately asked to be Coulter’s cofounder – the rest is history, as they say.
The concept of an annual mantra came to Chamberlin when running her former branding agency, having found herself struggling to keep things running smoothly while her business partner was on maternity leave. The business wasn’t her only passion in life, but it was absorbing all her energy. She decided it was time to make a change.
“It revealed to me that you don’t have to justify doing things that add anxiety to your life,” she told Fast Company. “That’s when the light bulb went off that I need a yearly guide post to focus my energy.”
In the year that she adopted the mantra concept, her agency added new clients and doubled revenue, while she also had more time for family and travel.
In coming up with your own guide, Chamberlin says to tune into recurring thoughts about how you need to work on yourself. For instance, if you find yourself saying things like “If only I had somebody who could direct me on what to do”, consider making your mantra “I will seek out support instead of doing everything myself”.
Only you can come up with your mantra for 2018. But it might help to have a conversation with someone who can tease out the areas where improvement can be made. Agnentis Partners can offer you a complimentary session to help you find your mantra.
