Haven't Planned 2019 Yet? This Is How You Can Do It In a Day
Episode 286: Show Notes
Hello and welcome everybody to another episode of your favorite podcast! We are doing all the end of year round ups, reflections and strategy activities and today is all about getting that planning in for next year. We cannot believe 2018 is basically already over; it has just flown by and we are pretty sure you feel the same way! So if you have not yet got down to planning things for you and your biz, this is just what you need to get started and crush that session. We all need things on our calendars so we do not go stumbling blindly into the next rotation around the sun. So why not get down to it with us? We got you!
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We will also be giving a few sneak peeks into what we will be doing next year, so you are not going to want to miss that juicy info! We chat about making time for your planning session and how to prepare successfully as well as getting into some of the key aspects of realistic and inspiring goal setting. A key takeaway from today is how to look at the drivers of your goals and using this information to make more accurate and helpful plans. On top of this, we give a few frameworks and suggestions, things that have helped us immensely in the past and we finish off today’s show with some failsafes, so you don’t do a lot of planning only to forget about it a few months into the new year. So for all that and more, join us on today’s episode!
Getting Down to Planning!
We suggest that you block off at least an afternoon, but maybe even a full day so you can really concentrate on this important task. Choose a productive space, whether that is a coffee shop, your couch, an office, whatever! There are a number of simple and important tools you will need and the first of which is as much data from 2018 as you can possibly collect! And then all that good stationery to make it easy and fun. We’re talking pens, paper, whiteboards and whatever else gets your juices flowing. In the end you need to be able to map out your plans in the best way possible. For Emylee this means printing out each month of the year so that she can fill in clearly and boldly what it will look like. The best place to start is to block off anything that is already happening and then leave a little buffer room on each side of these periods. From there you can see how much space is left and start thinking about your key objectives for the time that you have. Look back at the whole of the last year, did you reach your goals? It is so important to acknowledge your successes and failures in this regard before setting new goals for next year!
Breaking Down the Year and Looking at Each Quarter
We have planned three summits for next year, like who has time for that? But working backwards from these periods on our calendar makes everything so much more manageable. Start with the hard dates and work from these, otherwise these things tend to just not materialize. If you look at your overall year, what are your key objectives? Like what is your financial goal? And what is the driver of this goal? Being as exact as you can in this regard is great and challenging yourself in this way can really help you whittle things down. We have found that a good way to approach the year is to go as hard as you can at the beginning, doing as much as possible to get off to a roaring start, and if you need to scale back a bit, that’s okay. One of our most important drivers is content, but this does not mean that these days we just create mountains of content with no plan. You need a reason for people to pay attention to what you are doing and especially in the beginning, you need to try and cast the widest and fullest net to catch as many fish as you can. If you can lay out a comprehensive content plan that clearly drives relevant traffic to your business you are well on your way to building that ideal client base you have always dreamed of.
Systems, Workflow and Who is Doing What
A lot of what we do as online businesses is trying to convert interest into a transaction. This can be through your email sequence or your social media accounts, but having great funnels and systems in place to direct prospective clients and customers is what will differentiate you from less successful businesses. A helpful factor in this is having a great team! When you feel like you need a person to do a particular job and you have that person on your team, it can give you more time to focus on other, more important things. We have found that the first quarter of the year is always slower than the rest, so we are going to use this time to perfect our team and get any hiring done that is necessary. And while you are planning, do not forget that your business does not allow for you to waste time switching gears and dropping the ball when you are picking up the bat. Things have to carry on! There are so many moving parts to any business and really the only way to juggle all of these is to create strong systems. Automations and workflow can do so much for you and allow you to spend more time in your zone of genius!
Preventing The Tendency to Not Follow Through
We think there are two key pieces to planning for next year. If you can get these right you will be on your way to getting that highly profitable business up and thriving! These are strategic goal setting and structured accountability. For a great overview and in depth dive on how to do these well, please think about checking out our Green House Effect training program, it is free and will give you so much! We really believe that if you do not have these two elements in place, a lot of planning and strategizing can go out the window. We do not want you to be planning or trying to follow through and just get overwhelmed. In our experience, over the last three years, these two elements are what have enabled us to grow and build the business we have today, so let us help you realize your dreams!
Quote This
Having key players in your corner that are cheering you on, checking in on you, supporting you and being that co-worker will help you stay focused.
Highlights
Getting Down to Planning! [0:04:21.8]
TCC Launches and Summits in 2019. [0:09:02.4]
Breaking Down the Year and Looking at Each Quarter. [0:10:42.7]
Systems, Workflow and Who is Doing What. [0:20:35.1]
Preventing The Tendency to Not Follow Through. [0:27:30.5]
ON TODAY’S SHOW
Abagail & Emylee
The Strategy Hour Podcast
We help overwhelmed and creative entrepreneurs break down their Oprah-sized dreams to create a functioning command center to tame the chaos of their business. Basically, we think you’re totally bomb diggity, we’re about to uplevel the shiz out of your business.
