With the turn of the year, it’s common in our personal lives to set a series of resolutions aimed at improving our lives. Exercising more, learning new languages, or breaking unhealthy habits are the classic staples of every January.

Often, these resolutions end up falling by the wayside, since stating a goal doesn’t mean consistently working to achieve it. But every challenge begins with an intention, and it’s important to take that small first step to start down the path.

In professional life, the new year opens up a range of opportunities we should seize according to our desires, possibilities, and aspirations. Learning to use new technological tools, improving our organizational skills, starting to work with a coach, or regularly attending industry-related events can make our daily work more productive, help us showcase our abilities, and achieve the professional goals we set for ourselves.

Companies themselves should also take advantage of the new year’s momentum to set new challenges aimed at improving competitiveness, increasing profitability, or even ensuring their own survival. This drive can translate into major projects, such as a business overhaul, or into something “simpler” like rethinking work processes to make them more efficient.

Having the support of the organization’s key resources to implement change should be our first goal, but keeping the motivation we feel at the start alive throughout the process is one of the keys to success and to growing the business.

Motivation comes from being clear about the reasons why all the effort is worthwhile. Knowing exactly what the improvement entails, what objectives it pursues, and reflecting on the overall vision can help strengthen the motivation that allows us to take each step without losing focus (which should be based on the needs and preferences of our customers). Whatever approach is chosen to kick off 2015 and make the most of the economic recovery that is starting to appear on the horizon, our chances will always be boosted by using business management software—an essential ally for companies of a certain size. By taking advantage of the benefits of a tool like Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, reaching our annual goals will surely become a more comfortable task.