Spring is time for new growth in nature - just look around. The grass starts turning green, the spring flowers start rising from the earth and I hear the birds chirping. I know every year this will happen. It shows up slightly different each year, but I can count on it showing up.

In March I think of the lucky four-leaf clover. It is too cold outside in Green Bay, WI to find one, but I discovered other ways in which we can increase our luck.

Recently I attended my son’s wedding. James and his fiancé, Stephanie, invited family and friends. It was very beautiful. During that evening I met many of his friends. Friends who are very successful in types of business that weren’t around when I started my career. Businesses such as medical marijuana, virtual currency, marketing, a million-dollar Amazon reseller, etc. Most were confident young men that live life to the fullest and do business in ways I was never taught, nor did I imagine. College trained me for a job not to build a business.

Remember when you started the business. You never stopped thinking about it and you were so excited to get to work. Then life got in the way. Challenges started showing up - customers don’t pay, the pandemic happened, staff got sick, etc. Here are some things you can do to bring the excitement, enthusiasm and revive the passion.

February reminds me that our world evolves around love. Despite the anger, fear and hate that I see in today’s world when Valentine’s Day comes around, I think of love. I have a special man in my life, Steve my husband. We have been married for 24 years. Steve is a key part of my life. He is my rock and my cheerleader. Everyone needs someone like that in their life, to be accepted just as you are. Along with a strong marriage I have created other elements in my life that I love.

Small business owners wear many hats to keep the business operating.   They find their customers, deliver product and/or services promised, keep cash flowing and stay in out of trouble by following the law as best they can.   A good balance between those challenges makes a healthy business. Most business owners dread the accounting & tax side of the business.  However, with just a little time set aside each week, they can conquer it and improve their financial results!  So how do small business owners keep being financially successful? The key is finding the habits that work for you.

Now that 2020 is over I want to reorganize my life.  Tax season is just around the corner and I need to prepare to handle the tsunami that is coming.  My inner organizer has kicked in.  Since the year started with a long weekend at home, it started at home.  I packed away the Christmas decorations.  I sorted and got rid of stuff that I haven’t used in years.  I already reorganized my clothes closet and dresser.  I keep in mind Marie Kondo’s motto “keep what I love and get rid of the rest”.

The panic and fear of COVID-19 made my life very chaotic this year. I was challenged adapting to the many changes during tax season, February through April. My thought process was that I could not take any more change that I usually dealt with. Later I did realize that I did take the change and rolled with it, with more resistance that I cared for. I am so very thankful that this year over. However, I refuse to let that chaos reign in the upcoming year. Recently I took some time to review the mental tools that I have to get back in charge of my life.

My strongest and most precious holiday tradition is putting up the Christmas tree. Ever since I put up my very first tree, forty years ago, I take a personal journey when I decorate my tree. I have always decorated the tree all by myself. I have the same process.

This time of year, I think of charitable giving. This is challenging at a time when more people are in need of assistance but fewer are in a financial position to be able to provide it. I encourage you to think of others if you are in a position to give. However, I want you to give wisely, thus here’s some guidelines to assist you.