With the new financial year only a handful of weeks away (yes, I know I’m as surprised as you), I’ve put together some tips to make this year a great one.
Reflect
Grab a drink, a notebook + paper and find a quiet spot. Now sit back and reflect on the current year by asking yourself these questions:
- What are you most proud of?
- What was your favourite thing to happen?
- Did you learn any lessons during the year?
- Is there anything you would or want to do differently this year?
- What positive impact did you have on the community?
- When did you step outside your comfort zone, and what happened?
Review your purpose + vision
Often we start our businesses with an idea of what we want to accomplish or the difference we want to make.
You may have written this down, or it could be tumbling around in your head.
A quick recap on the difference between purpose and vision is:
Purpose = is your overarching reason for your business that is often person in nature and bigger than ourselves. It’s grounded in humanity and motivates us to get out of bed and keep going each day.
Vision = your vision is what you hope to achieve in your business. It supports your purpose.
Have a think about your purpose and vision for the business. Is it still relevant, or do you need to tweak it? And if you haven’t done so, try writing it down (keep it to a sentence or two).
What’s your strategy
Now that you have reviewed the year that was and your purpose and vision, it’s time to review your strategic plan.
Your strategy should reflect the objectives of your business and align with your purpose.
Consider your 5-year plan. Think about what you want to accomplish in the new year that will contribute to you achieving your strategic goals.
Some ideas to think about when reviewing your strategy:
- Conduct a S.W.O.T and P.E.S.T.L.E analysis
- Identify new areas of growth and value-adds
- Can your goals be easily measured
- Seek feedback from clients and employees
Conducting a strategic review may take a few weeks. Take your time and give yourself a few days between reviews for ideas to percolate and form properly.
Action Plan
Okay, now that you have a solid understanding of what you want to accomplish this year, it’s time to map out an action plan. What steps do you need to take to achieve them? My free quarterly action plan can help break these down and lessen the overwhelm. Download the action plan here.
Your action plan should ideally use S.M.A.R.T. goals. What’s that you say?
S = Specific. Make sure the goal is tangible and easily understood.
M = Measurable. How will you measure its success?
A = Achievable. Be sure the goal is attainable.
R = Relevant. Does it align with your purpose + vision?
T = Time-bound. Give yourself a timeframe to achieve it so you remain accountable.
Be sure to motivate yourself by rewarding yourself at the end of the quarter. Will it be a date night with your other half, a weekend away, or a pamper session at the local day spa? The options are endless.
To keep the motivation going, display your action plan where you can see it daily. It can be printed and stuck on your wall, be your computer background or even an action list in your project management software. If you’re a visual person, add photos next to each item so your goals stay front of mind.
Need help reviewing or developing your strategy, don’t go it alone. Book a Mentor Strategy Session with me.
If you’re not quite sure how I can help, you can book a complimentary 20-minute Zoom session to chat.
And, if you haven’t already done so, subscribe to my newsletter, Purpose by Design, and join a purpose-led and solutions-focused conversation.
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