Happy New Year Reader!

Every January people face an emotional start - a fresh start.

The great years are marked by resolutions, goals and hopes and dreams.

The harder years include seasonal disorders, winter blues, anxiety over cash spent in the holiday season and for CPAs, stress about the upcoming year-end busy season.

In these unprecedented times we can expect much of it to be amplified.

Without even realizing it, many of us design our lives to prevent going into a January funk.

We spend time with family and friends over the holiday season. We take a trip during the break. We start diets and get back to fitness. We book and plan a winter get away to look forward to. (Did you know anticipating and planning vacations is just as effective as the time away?)

So, now in 2021, we have a bit of a challenge here don’t we?

As business leaders what can we do?

1. Be aware.

Here are some resources about the challenge.

Burnout and how to help your team
- https://hbr.org/2019/03/how-to-help-your-team-with-burnout-when-youre-burned-out-yourself
- https://hbr.org/2018/10/help-your-team-do-more-without-burning-out?utm_campaign=hbr&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin
A long dark COVID-19 winter & experts concerns on mental health and COVID-19
- https://beta.ctvnews.ca/national/coronavirus/2020/10/21/1_5154468.html
How to beat January blues
- https://www.happiness.com/magazine/inspiration-spirituality/january-blues-new-year-depression-beat-it/

Connect & Meet with Amplify

2. Have your corporate resources available and easily accessible.

Check with your Human Resources or benefits expert to get this compiled and make it easy and available to the team.

Here is Alberta government info too.

3. Take care of yourself first.

4. Consider what your team needs.

Be aware that their boundaries and ability to stretch might be less in 2021. For CPAs facing year-end that might mean bringing on resources. If you are borrowing internally, hiring or getting a temp please download our PDF with tips to make it successful.

Starting 2021 on the Right Foot YE Help Tips.pdf

Book a Call with Ryan

5. Recognize that it isn’t the same for everyone.

Women, marginalized community members, and other diverse staff might have unique challenges. Jamie wrote about some of that in her personal LI article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/navigating-through-challenging-times-fall-edition-jamie-l-smith

6. Collaborate.

It can be easy to neglect your forums and groups when the invites include yet another video. We get it. We are COVIDeo’d out too. At Amplify we run Aha with Amplify and welcome you to join. We also are members of EOA and FEI and are actively considering additional opportunities. It can be lonely these days so it’s important as a business leader to be proactive on this. You are doing important work in volatile times. Reach out.

Book a Meeting with Tyler

7. Creativity is needed in 2021.

Carve out time in the winter blues to get creative. Personal opportunity to bring back music, team strategy, art, writing or other creative juices is essential. You had something that inspired you before the lockdown. What was it? And what can you substitute?

And for work, you’ve got your pivots and recovery and brand and experience as we discussed in our 2021 predictions: https://amplifyadvisors.ca/blog/.

You’ve also got a chance to invest in yourself and learn. At Amplify, we’ve already started. We did the Blue Ocean Strategy course. Along with our Playing to Win toolkit we are very ready to work on our own strategy or to help you. We also have continued to invest in Business Made Simple and are learning Enneagram and advanced communication. Of course, our team attends Aha with Amplify too and we are very excited for January and February’s. Register for them both below.

8. Remote work is here to stay.

You're at home and with that it can be too easy to work late or never leave your computer. It’s the same for the team. And that flexibility can be inspiring. There’s nothing wrong with a culture that allows people to work how they want and where they want. Celebrate that! But be cautious you don’t push yourself or others. Respect boundaries. Be grateful and gracious. Read about how to succeed culturally here.

9. Book the Break.

Remember we said that anticipation of vacation is as advantageous as the trip itself? Plan something! Jasper, Banff, staycation or something else (that follows the guidelines) is a great way to accomplish this. We know a bit about Bow Valley! Here’s some suggestions.

10. Bundle Up.

Get outside. Yeah, for some of us it’s a tough ask. Keep it simple with a walk. Or make it elaborate with a mountain activity. Or something in between, and an ODR is great too. And your kids will love the extra time with you!