I am often asked by clients, “how do you keep engaged with, and on top of, the plans and goals you set for yourself at the beginning of the year?” This is a great question, because for many of us, even with the best intentions, we tend to fall off, or stop focusing on our goals about the middle of March.
So what can we do?
I urge my clients to make four dates with themselves: One in mid-March, one in mid-June, one in mid-September and one in mid-December. These are dates with yourself that CANNOT be broken. You must treat them like they were a date in stone with your most important client! They are your four strategic planning days for your business. They can be a half day or a full day, however, I recommend nothing less than three hours.
This is the time you review your goals for the year and ask yourself, what’s working, what needs tweaking, what are my specific goals and action steps in the next three months. For example, in mid-March it would be the time to look at your first quarter earnings, goal attainment, what worked, what didn’t? Then an opportunity to look ahead at the 2nd quarter (April, May, June) and develop the specific plans of actions you will be taking in the next three months to continue to move yourself towards your big goals.
As solopreneurs, it’s difficult if not nearly impossible to take ourselves 30,000 feet up and take a strategic look at our businesses. We’re too close to them and usually we’re smack dab in the middle of them. By scheduling these four dates this year, it offers us the opportunity to look strategically at our businesses and make sure we’re headed in the right direction!
So, I strongly urge you to make those four dates with yourself right now. Put them on your calendar, be true to them, show up for them and I guarantee you will see the results of your efforts in your year end results! Really, go ahead right now and schedule them!!!
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