Welcome to the new year! At the start of a year, I often find myself with lots of energy. The holiday rush is behind us, and ahead of us is a brand-new year, full of possibilities!
Over the years, I’ve found a ‘formula’ that helps carry the buzz of new year’s energy through months ahead, so I can look back in December and see how far my team and I have come. Each part of the formula builds on to the next, helping us create sustainable change with all this new year momentum!
Start with the Right Mindset
Perspective is everything, especially as we look forward to the new year! Many sales teams find it helpful to start with a strong mindset, and work forward from there when creating a plan for the year ahead.
As a team, identify some words that define the kind of mindset you’d like to have in 2026. This might start with naming some of the challenges that you faced last year. Did the team find themselves working from the back foot, and scrambling to respond to situations? “Proactive” might be a good addition to this year’s mindset!
And don’t forget to consider the good from last year, too! If there was something new you tried in 2025 that worked well, consider how it impacted the team and why. Maybe you introduced new lines that infused a lot of energy into the team, and you might consider “variety” as a part of your philosophy moving forward.
Together, your team can help hone in on the qualities that make coming to work every day fun and fulfilling, even when it’s challenging. Once you have your mindset, consider posting those words somewhere the team can see them, as a reminder to start and end each day!
Be Open to Change
Change will come whether we’re ready for it or not, so we might as well be open to it! With the rise of new communications tools, AI, lab diamonds, and other revolutions in our industry, all that change can be both exciting and overwhelming.
When you hear about something new, consider it with an open mind. How could it help your team? What new opportunities would it present? How would it serve your customers?
This is where the mindset you establish is so crucial, because it will help you screen new ideas, tools, products, and methods to find the ones that will work best for your team! Keep your team’s mindset at the forefront, and consider how you can use something new to further the goals you’ve set.
But you’ll notice I say we should be open to change – that doesn’t mean we change everything! When you consider something new with an open mind, you may find that it doesn’t work well with your team’s workstyle, your store’s setup, or your perspective on business. If you’re sure that this is a genuine mismatch, and not just resistance to change, then by all means, stick with what feels authentic and meaningful for your business!
I encourage everyone to find ways to use new tools, new products, and new ideas in service of old-school ideas like deep knowledge of your products, meaningful connections with guests, and personalized recommendations – it’s a winning combination!
Structure Makes it Possible
Like many salespeople and creatives, I often find that new ideas are my worst enemy. Sometimes it seems that bringing something to life is less exciting than the creative work of imagining something new, and so I find myself endlessly generating ideas… And changing nothing.
But structure can help overcome this tendency! Once you’ve used your team’s mindset to identify changes you’d like to make, implement a structure that keeps you and your team accountable. How can you integrate the new tool, process, product, or idea into what you already do day-to-day? How can you make the transition to this new change smooth for both team members and guests? And, crucially, how can you make sure this new change sticks?
This can take a lot of forms, depending on the changes you make and the way your team works. But if you’re encouraging the sales team to do something new, find a way to introduce accountability. Give team members the resources they need to learn about new systems, so it’s easier to learn the new system than it is to work around it. And check in frequently to keep new innovations top-of-mind and make them harder to ignore or postpone!
Communication for Cohesion
I’m a big advocate for “Fun Fridays” – a Friday meeting that’s energetic, upbeat, celebrates wins, and keeps everyone on the same page. Maybe your team is better suited for Magic Mondays or Wonderful Wednesdays, but whatever your format, good communication among team members is the best way to keep each other energized and accountable.
Team meetings give you a chance to revisit your mindset and stay aligned with teammates, consider new ideas that are sure to be introduced throughout the year, and add accountability for any new ideas you’ve already embraced. Building the habit of meeting regularly can be a challenge, with all the demands on a team’s time, but the rewards of clear goals and open communication are absolutely worth it.
Keeping Your Momentum for 2026
If you’ve ever struggled to keep a new year’s resolution, you know you’re not alone! But as they say, when motivation wanes, you don’t magically rise to the level of your goals – you fall to the level of your systems. If you keep your team’s mindset at the forefront, stay open to new ideas as they come, add structure to your team’s day to encourage accountability, and communicate openly and consistently, you’ll have a system that keeps your team and your business moving forward with new year levels of momentum through December and beyond!
