Can you believe the new year is almost knocking on our doors?!
Before we know it, we’ll be doing the countdown and hitting the ground running for 2024.
As a business owner, the new year can be super exciting. It feels like a reset or a refresh, and the possibilities seem endless. But before we get there, I believe the key to our businesses' success is to review what you’ve done, set clear goals, and plan out the year ahead.
In the spirit of the season, we’re sharing some impactful exercises to help you wrap up your year in a neat bow and set yourself up for a fantastic 2024!
1) Reflect
Instead of diving head-first into the future, take some time to look at what you’ve done this year, both personally and professionally. Remember to list everything that you can think of - the triumphs and the challenges.
2) Audit
If you want to take it up a notch, take some time to do a little business audit where you can include your revenue, your clients, launches, big events, or anything else that made an impact on your year.
This year was a big “personal” year for me, I planned my wedding, moved homes, and went on my dream honeymoon. While professionally, we expanded the team, created and consistently updated this very blog (which was a previous goal), established some processes and systems, and had a steady flow of amazing clients.
3) Assess
Once you have your list, it’s time to assess. What are the things on your list that you would like to repeat or do more of in the year ahead and what would you like to lessen?
Taking the time to assess what you like and want versus what brought you stress can be really powerful when you start planning ahead. This is your chance to fine-tune your compass before you set sail.
I know that there are going to be things on your list that were one-off items, for me it's the wedding and honeymoon, but they are worth noting because you can see how much of your time went into your business versus your personal life, as well as appreciating how much you truly accomplished in a year.
If you want to make it fun, pick a color or an emoji to associate with the “loved it” list items, a different one for the “just ok” items, and then one more for the “hated it” items.
4) Forecasting
Now that you’ve taken stock of where you are and all that you did, it’s time to cast your gaze forward.
Close your eyes and think about your “loved it” list.
What do you want to repeat and do more of in the new year?
What do you want to accomplish and achieve in the 2024?
Whether it’s expanding your reach, boosting profits, or launching a new product, having a clear vision and setting goals will help you get there.
Without goal setting, we’re just trucking on and working in our businesses day in and day out, but at some point, we’ll end up asking ourselves “Are we successful?”, “Where is this business even going?”.
Having clear and specific goals helps to guide your journey and stay the course even through the inevitable waves of business. You will know exactly WHEN you get there because you will be able to check off that goal.
Now, time to deal with the “just ok” and “hated it” items. This is not a part of the list you want to ignore because it can educate you on what you need to do moving forward.
Start by identifying which items you can truly leave behind in 2023, and which (even though you disliked) have to continue doing or bring forward to the new year because you need them to run your business.
5) Planning
Now it's time to plan out your goals and with it your year!
Look at each goal and below it add actions that you need to take to work towards it, and list any hurdles that can prevent you from getting there. Once you have this list, start mapping out exactly when you’ll be tackling and ideally completing each goal within the new year. Keep in mind that some goals may have a lot of steps while others may be easy to accomplish.
6) Execution & Delegation
Now that you have your goals mapped out and the items you “need” to continue identified, it's time to brainstorm solutions.
Start by asking yourself: Which items do I really need to be doing or responsible for?
Then ask yourself: Which items can be outsourced so that my time is freed up to work on the business or focus on the items I actually want to do?
To be clear, outsourcing doesn’t mean handing over the captain's hat in your business, it’s more about assembling the right team to help you navigate to your success.
Some examples we’ve heard:
My brand needs a facelift but I either don’t know where to start or don’t have the right skill set to do it.
My social media channels are feeling a little bit deserted but I know I need to be active and engaged to reach that ideal client.
My website could use a fresh coat of virtual paint to serve our clients better and be a more accurate representation of our brand but it just takes so much time and effort that I don’t have.
These are all in the realm of marketing because that’s our niche, but truly the answer for any of these (and many others) could be to outsource these services. It is truly about finding resources and selecting the people who can fill in for anything that isn’t you’re strength or priority.
So as you prepare for 2024, remember that goal setting and planning are needed for you to have a kickass new year, but also that the most successful journeys are seldom solo!
Until next month,
Xo, Alessya
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