Healthy optimism has us viewing 2024 as a chance to improve and to rebound from a challenging 2023. Let’s face it we all love a clean slate, new beginning and the opportunity to move forward aggressively, decisively with speed and passion.

“Come January, after break, I am just going to “Grip it and Rip it.”

Love the energy and commitment, but maybe there is another approach. Maybe the 2024 bounce back begins with a Jan 2 step back.

What do I mean?

First, start with a fully present Holiday break.

The calendar gives us an ideal opportunity to be fully present at the end of a year full of distractions and interruptions. At no other time of the year do we have this chance to leave the business behind and be exactly where we are. Fully present for family, friends, our community and even ourselves.

Then, on Tuesday, January 2 resist the temptation to jump right in and, instead, step back.

Before we make the decision to acquire, invest, sell-off, develop, launch, markdown, layoff, revise the work-from-home policy, enter new markets, hire consultants, or consolidate, why not begin with a step back.

Give yourself the gift of another day. Away from the office, without interruption. Make this your first investment in a successful and fulfilling 2024. This is not just another “remote work” day. It might be more like the classroom of silence, time, and space.

I always see this as an “inside-out” process which begins with each of us. Years ago, I tried something new, and it became a habit. I would take the first couple days of January to go to the local library and invest two days in reflection and planning. It’s my version of the step back. In fact, my step was so far back that one year I went to the library on the campus of my old elementary school—- whatever works.

There are important questions for us to explore before jumping back in. I found that a great way to begin was to think more deeply about Purpose, Culture, Creativity and Clarity. Intentionally taking inventory of these then integrating the answers into our business (and leadership) strategy. Another critical area to explore is priorities and what’s most important. We are faced with lots of choices. We can do anything, but we can’t do everything. What will be the most important initiatives for the coming year?

When I came back to the office, my feet were firmly on the ground. I was truly ready to go and ready to share and articulate my thoughts and ideas to the team. Right out of the gate why not acknowledge where we are and gain clarity on where (and how) we want to go. I know we like, especially as leaders, to be seen as urgent and decisive. Quick and significant actions and decisions reinforce that expectation and that perception. But is that the first step to a successful recovery?

In the larger scope, the time and energy (and honesty and transparency) invested in the step back can be the single greatest success factor in the bounce back. As we look to learn from 2023 and succeed in 2024, lets first step back, get an understanding of the ground by tracking the sky.

As in the lyrics to a Ben Rector song “30,000 Feet”:

“Sometimes we can get lost
Living in the here and now
Sometimes it takes the sky
To see what’s on the ground”

Our best step forward might just be a step back.