So … how are you doing with those New Year’s resolutions? Can you remember any of them? Are you still working on any of them?

Exactly. And that’s why I don’t set New Year’s resolutions. What I did do, though, was start going to the gym three times a week in the last week of December 2016 – fast forward to April 2017 and I’m still working out. I’ve lost 19 pounds so far!

Good for me, end of blog post, right? Not so fast! After losing 15 pounds, I hit a plateau, where I was stuck for three weeks. I’m proud of myself for not giving up, but man was that elliptical hard to face at 5 am during those three weeks. My friends were nice and said maybe I’d just gained muscle weight (nice try, guys, but I was doing cardio) and I was technically still ahead of my goal of losing a pound a week, but it was still frustrating.

Since I’m writing this, you probably figured out that I broke my plateau, right? But how? The first thing I did was revisit my end goal of losing 52 pounds by 2018. I also mixed things up a bit – did some yard work, helped other folks set up their tables and tents at a block party, etc. It made me sweat but it also raised my spirits to help others. I also reviewed my diet and tweaked my portions a bit and, as a result, I started losing weight again.

The same thing happens with marketing. Things are going great – you’re getting leads, you’re making conversions, you’re getting customers and then … suddenly you’re not. Maybe your analytics tools started recording things differently, perhaps a social media channel changed their algorithm, or maybe you just got so busy you veered off your path.

Don’t freak out. A plateau isn’t always a bad thing. It’s time to take stock, evaluate, look at data – is this working? If it isn’t, does the frequency need to change? For example: you could change your blogging schedule from four times a month to two times a month or vice versa. Maybe you need a shift in content. If you’ve been creating eBooks, add an infographic or video for the people who absorb information differently. Or if you’re already creating all those things, consider changing your delivery channel. For videos, for example, don’t just think YouTube – give Facebook Live a try.

Don’t look at a plateau as negative. A plateau gives you the opportunity to look back, reflect, and then adjust your plan on how to move forward to your ultimate goal.