This is the time of year for personal reflection. Reflection on what we’ve done right, what we’ve done wrong and most importantly on what we’re going to change or improve.

These are my 5 New Years resolutions to help me and my startup adventure succeed in 2015.

Instead of being specific goals these resolutions are comparisons to 2014 and the years before. As long as I get the feeling that I’m beating the previous year I’ll know that I’m doing OK.

1. (Go to sleep and) wake up early.

Putting in a little more than 1.5 additional work hours a day (Monday to Friday) adds up to an extra work day a week. Working longer hours is a competitive advantage!

I am most productive early in the morning. Its quiet, calm and is conducive for getting some valuable work out of the way. It also prepares me for the day ahead.

For most of 2014 I was pretty good at getting up at about 4:30/5 to get in an hour or so of work before the office opens at 7. Lately I’ve been slipping.

My goal for 2015 is to ‘aim early’, consistently.

2. Work Smarter

By nature I get distracted very easily. It takes a lot of effort for me to sit down, concentrate and actually work productivly. This is especially the case for things I don’t really enjoy doing (like reading contracts).

My second goal for 2015 and beyond is to work smarter. Avoid distractions and use the time I have for work to be as productive as possible.

3. Get Fitter

In 2014 I definitely let my fitness slide. So much so that my usually reserved colleagues started commenting that my shirts were getting tighter, and not in the good way.

Clearly exercise makes you healthy. If you are healthy you can work harder and smarter. Simple.

Exercise is also a form of meditation and contemplation. Hours spent running, paddling, swimming and to some extent gymming are hours spent in your head. During training I reflect on what I’m working on, what I need to get done and what else is important.

4. Chase The Cash

This is the most startup specific resolution on my list. Cash is the lifeblood of a startup, without it you crash and burn.

There are three simple ways to get cash into your ecosystem. Ask people for it, cut costs or sell. Obviously the last two options are the most preferable with option three being the best.

2015 is going to be the year of getting cash into the ecosystem. Every morning I need to ask myself what I can do that day to get more money into the ecosystem. These tasks needs to be prioritised.

5. Switch Off More

The first thing I do when I wakeup is check my phone. Most people I know do this.

At some point in 2015 I will make a concious effort to completely switchoff for at least a week. No cell phone, no computer and a likely sense of panic the whole time.

In our connected world the simple task of disconnecting can shake us up so much that we actually start to think differently. Its so unusual that it forces us to relax.