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SMARTY.

The human side of business

Big Life

Resolutions.

December 26, 2016 · By Amy Swift Crosby

Smaller jumps. Softer landings. More frequent finish lines.

Every year, come December 31st, we are marketed an opportunity make grand proclamations…to do whatever…better, more often, with more gusto. We promise to stop, to quit, and abstain. We make lists and set goals, mock up visions of better, more beautiful or closer to perfect. We launch an internal battle cry that says…this year, yes I will! This year, no I won’t! And then wonder why, by March, they felt ambitious.

At worst, we chastise ourselves for already failing.
At best, we forget we made these personal mission statements at all.

Maybe we’ve always made resolutions as a way to design our lives in a way that feels intentional and sure-footed, en route to creating better versions of ourselves for the year ahead. Naturally, progress is a reasonable desire. No one wants to stay the same year after year. Our goals and ambitions give our lives meaning and purpose – they light a fire under our feet and offer a reward for our actions – from a stronger body to a more successful business.

But do rigid resolutions create unintentional trip wires? Could we instead premeditate a more forgiving attitude in anticipation of the inevitable people or hurdles that might interrupt those earnest targets? Even the best business models/vision boards/flight plans encounter surprises. So why not, along with the big dreaming or prolific ideas, build in agility? Flexibility? Go with the flow-ness? Human-sized steps?

For me, this feels more sustainable. It doesn’t deny the big pie in the sky of the ultimate – but it puts a focus on frequent finish lines, rather than a single, momentous one – as a means to attaining it.

Small is the new big. Steps are the new leaps. And minutes are the new milestones (I’m starting to feel relieved already).

#littlebylitte #onebyone #yesyoucan

P.S. Happy New Year to all of you who read and support this blog and message this year. We really grew because of you! I appreciate every single comment, forward and share.

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About Me

photo of Amy Swift Crosby

Amy Swift Crosby is a brand strategist and copywriter who has positioned or voiced messaging across the commercial spectrum, from icons like Ford, BVLGARI, Pottery Barn, Pantene and Virgin, to boutique brands like The Wild Unknown, fitness franchise Barre3 and the rebrand of legendary metaphysical bookstore, Bodhi Tree. She has leveraged this expertise to help entrepreneurial women and small businesses owners hone their skills, mission and message, while uncovering their own “voice.” This blog explores “the human side of business,” and universal themes like uncertainty, anxiety, the tension between engagement and disconnection, personal value and most importantly, of finding - and hearing - our own voices in our everyday life.

Photo - Andrew Stiles

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SMARTY began as a thriving community in Los Angeles and Boston with weekly panel discussions and events designed to better understand the mindset and growth strategies behind successful entrepreneurs. Today, SMARTY is a weekly blog written by Amy Swift Crosby who chronicles her life as a creative, parent, entrepreneur and spiritual seeker. As an urban refugee living in a New England seaside village, she unpacks topics ranging from uncertainty and doubt to the built environment and advertising. More on Amy.

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