We are down to the wire for 2019 and into 4th quarter. Feeling great about your business?
When 2019 began, hopefully, you made your strategic plan for the year. At the very least, you set some critical annual goals for yourself. Now – nine full months completed – how are you coming?
- Have you far surpassed your goals already?
- Are you on track to achieve your objectives by year end?
- Are you way behind?
- Did life or work go way off track so the plan/goals went out the window?
Whichever your scenario, it is time for a year-end 3-2-1 regroup.
3 – Months 📆 Time we have remaining to create a kick-butt 2019.
2 – Goals 📈 These are the things upon which you should be spending the next 3 months focusing.
Goal #1: What singular goal, if achieved by 12/31/19, would make you feel that the year was a professional success?
Consider, for example:
- A monetary goal – income, net profit, gross sales;
- A unit sales or clients served goal;
- An operational goal – in a new business, perhaps a soft opening accomplished or a full staff hired; or
- A marketing goal – rebranding completed or big annual event held.
What is that one goal for you?
Goal #2: By the end of the year, make sure you have completed your 2019 year review and crafted your strategic plan for 2020. Depending on the size and scope of your business, this could take as long as a full week meeting with your team to as short as a day-long retreat on your own. Regardless, you owe it to yourself and your work to take this time to evaluate past progress and challenges and set the tone for an amazing 2020.
Make the commitmentby booking the date on your calendar and reserving the location today!
1 – Checklist 🖋
Return to Goal #1. What are all of the ACTIONS that need to take place by the end of the year to achieve this goal?
These actions may be singular, one-time actions or projects, such as hiring a placement firm to find that one key employee. List each one, then break each action down into its smallest subpart to chunk down the tasks and make accomplishing them easy and fulfilling.
These actions may be repetitive habits or routines that time has proven will get you to your goal, such as conducting a certain number of 1-1 prospective client or referral partner meetings per week.
Whatever form these actions take, create the checklist. If it’s a repetitive action, create a checklist template that you refresh every week.
You may end up with both a project checklist and a weekly repetitive action checklist.
Take the time. Make the lists. Print them out. Keep them visible. Review daily and, most importantly, check items off.
There you have it – your year-end 4th quarter plan. Keep things simple and focused on the main goal and actions to take you to that goal. Give yourself time at year-end to set yourself up for a strong start to 2020.
Simple as that. 3-2-1! 🎉🏆🎯