A lot of business owners have the same trait – they seize the moment. It takes nerve to make a decision and stick by it and a lot of employees enjoy the fact that someone else is taking responsibility for the final decision.

If you are going to take the step from employee to business owner, you will need to switch your mindset from sitting back to stepping forwards and sticking by your instinct. Here are our top 6 tips for taking control this year.

Be assertive

Assertiveness comes in many forms and a common misconception is that being the loudest person in the room automatically makes you the boldest and being truly comfortable and happy in a networking and sales environment makes you the leader. Seizing the moment and being assertive doesn’t need this. You want to be the one thinking and making an informed decision, not the one shouting loud nonsense. To take control of your year, trust your gut and act on it.

A common regret is not having acted on instinct – I should have said yes, I should have pushed on with that idea – don’t let those regrets be your legacy for this year.

Say yes

A good tip is that if you don’t have the skills or aren’t sure how to do a task… say yes anyway. You can always learn how later or find someone with the specific skills to help you out. You never know what other opportunities you are turning down. Making positive decisions can only lead to further positivity.

Always keep your main goal in mind

One way to stay in control is to keep a strong vision in mind. Whether it is as simple as the car you’ve always wanted to own or a broader vision of happiness and affluence. Keep it as memorable as possible – we like visual reminders. Why not pop a photo on your desk or some motivational words and quotes on the fridge? Then it keeps it front and centre at all times and you always remember why you do what you do. This is especially important when you hit roadblocks. If you are struggling with a task or tired and ill, this will keep you strong. You won’t seize any opportunities if you don’t really want them, so make sure what motivates you is strong and really resonates. Using a photo of a Maserati because your friend likes them is a weak choice and you won’t get far.

Repetition

They say it takes 28 days to make a habit and regularly repeating mantras or tasks which mean success for you is a great way to make it happen. If you need to make life easier, then routines and habits will help – especially if you want to channel your inner boss. Work out what needs to happen to achieve your goal – do you need to wake up earlier, improve your mental health or get better at speed reading? Practice practice and practice. The human brain loves repetition and can learn at an exceptional rate.

Emulate your business heroes

We all need guidance and if you don’t have a suitable mentor in your life, look outwards and upwards. Read up on your favourite business leaders and learn what routines and techniques they adopted to achieve their success. For example, if you find out that Obama takes 30 minutes out of every day to self-improve – reading a book or listening to a podcast – then try the same. Obviously it needs to be realistic, don’t wake up for 3am exercise if you have small children but it can be a good guide on which habits breed success.

Just do it

Yes Nike may have coined the phrase, but this last tip is the clincher. Just get on and get it done. Too much time is spent thinking and planning in the guise of organisation is really just pure procrastination. You can tell yourself due diligence is important but if it’s being used as an excuse for fear or foreboding, you just need to get on with it. You’ll be glad you did, results and hard evidence are easier to evaluate and analyse than suppositions and hypotheticals. And you can’t improve if you haven’t nothing to build on. So just do it!