Traditionally January has been a month for new beginnings. New beginnings can be exciting. New beginnings can also be intimidating. "New" inherently means "different" and "different" inherently means "change" and fear of change is one of the most common fears that people face.
For those with a phobia-grade fear of change there is therapy, but for those fears of change that are less debilitating we can start by looking at our habits of being versus our desired state of being. You'll notice I didn't just say 'habits' as in 'behaviors'. I have James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits to thank for that.
He starts his method for changing habits by reminding us to focus on who we want to become rather before deciding what behaviors we need to change. For example, if you are feeling frequently mis-understood, you might say to yourself, "I want to become more understood." That's a clearly defined goal about the person you want to become. With that change in outcome clearly defined, you can then design the change in your day-to-day processes to improve the way people might understand you. You might want to become more generous, more thoughtful, or more fit. Regardless, the change begins by defining a desired new identity from which the directive for behavior change will come.
The same goes for a businesses and brands. Rather than rushing in to determine how to change the way your brand or business behaves, first spend a moment deciding what you want your brand or business to become. If you want your business to become the "honest choice", then behaviors like transparent billing will become priorities. If you want to become more profitable, then behaviors like comparing top and bottom line more regularly will become priorities. If you want to become a more accountable business person then systems that will help you to become more accountable and their daily use will become priorities. Change the desired outcome first, and your behaviors will have a new lighthouse for reference.
Whether it's James Clear or some other great advisor on habits and achievements, every last advisor or coach will start by asking you to write down your goal in a place where you can see it every day. Start there . . . but only if the person you want to become involves changing who you are today.