Setting goals is trending this time of year. It is time to turn our focus to the upcoming bottom line for next year.
I have recently come across a great strategy that I will be using this year. It’s very simple and will take only a half an hour of your time. Last year it was making never ending lists of things to do, but this approach will widen your ability to forecast for the future.
Brain Dump
The first step is to get all of your ideas out of your head and on paper. This includes business goals and personal goals. Include both goals for next year and it will be easier to plan for and accomplish both.
For the brain dump there are no rules. Think as wide as possible and write down what truly comes to mind. You realistically will not decide to include all of these in 2017 but you will be able to make sure you are going in the right direction.
Writing them down in a notebook will also allow you to refresh them as you move forward in the year. No one can predict the future and there are always unforeseeable challenges but having a plan will help you pivot when necessary.
What worked, What didn’t?
Reflect on the past 12 months and think about what has worked in your business and what hasn’t. Is there a process that you need to scrap or fine tune going forward? Or is there a specific task that has fallen behind last year that you need to revamp? Pick some main points that you have beaten yourself up about and decide to get them resolved.
Pick 10
There is not set number for goals you will want to achieve in your business or personally. At the end of the day, they are your goals. 10 is a good number to start with and I recommend making space for 5 business goals and 5 personal goals.
Next, list 5 or 6 actionable steps you need to take to accomplish that goal. You may be 1 step away or 10 but you will be able to see the forest through the trees and incrementally closer to that goal for next year.
Get Help
While we all would like to be able to do things on our own, realistically everyone needs help. Decide what could be delegated from your list and look for a professional in that area.
Virtual Assistants are great because they normally deal with a broad range of tasks from many different small businesses. We can help you check those things off your list so you can focus on the core of your business.
