A week ago we launched the Visionaries Tribe and a few people had the thinking that they should join in the new year and not now. Several people had different reasons but most had the school of thought, that January is the best time to plan for the year and start kicking off new ventures.
I get the reason, especially since having such a disruptive year can cause you to be lethargic and have a negative view of planning. It got me thinking about planning and choosing the right time to do it.
Planning is definitely better than not planning, and the best time to begin planning is now in November. Why so, you ask?
Well…
- December is marked by winding down, Christmas parties, and traveling. The hustle of moving around, attending office parties then family gatherings, and also trying to enjoy yourself doesn’t leave much room for planning. Heck, your mind would not want to think of work or planning for next year.
- January is not the best month either. Most of us tend to go back to work until the second week of the month, trying to recover from the December holidays. We are often experiencing holiday blues and the pressure to take our kids to school, school fees, and get our work mode back on. By the time the pace picks back up and you get into the swing of things, 2/3 of the month has passed. Then just like that, 2021 has now become an 11-month year. One month was effectively wasted with no real action taken to drive life and business/career forward. The cycle continues for another year. This is why November is the best month to plan and prepare for the New Year. To create clear goals and set yourself up to “hit the ground running” from the get-go in 2021.
Maximize the power of planning well this November!
So, how can you set yourself up for a great start to your new year in November?
Set aside a few hours of uninterrupted time where you can be alone with your pen, paper, and a clear mind. Maybe even go away for a weekend.
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Do a review of how the year was
What has worked well in the last 12 months? I know that a lot of unexpected things happened this year, and you might have even lost a job or a business, but it’s important you approach this review with a positive attitude to learn.
If you want to have a successful year, you’ll want to focus on the successes of the previous year. More specifically, you’ll want to focus on what worked in your business over the last 12 months.
Is there a product that sold really well? Is there a venture that you took that really worked well? Are there any events that led to more money in your pocket?
For example, launching more into online coaching worked very well for me in 2020. It was not a hard package to sell, it’s scalable and it’s starting to bring in some revenue from the physical programs that I used to do last year that came to a halt at the beginning of the year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
What can you drop completely? – In addition to determining what worked, you’ll want to consider what didn’t work for your business or career this year. There is no need to waste more time or money on actions that don’t get results. From a tactical perspective, this could look like seeing whether or not you’re getting a return on your investment with a specific tool, program or product, or service.
On a larger scale, some of your answers may look more personal. For instance, I realized that I needed to be intentional in following up on potential and current clients if I want to keep scaling and that I needed to be more relational with those people God has sent my way.
2. What’s my big theme for 2021?
Every year God speaks to me about the following year and what I plan should revolve around that theme. Take time and listen to divine instructions. Let God guide you and be willing to receive even if it might not make as much sense. As children of God, we walk with faith and obedience.
This New Year before March, I had a great sense of focusing on branding, and I even did a photo shoot and took some video testimonials. Little did I know that I would be launching more into online coaching and I needed a good revamp of my image.
The Lord kept telling me that He’s doing a new thing, and I have been willing to be open and take risks this year which has led to new partnerships and doors opening. Take time to pray and seek God for the theme of 2021.
3. Grab your yearly calendar or planner and write down your top goals for 2021
what do you want to earn? What do you want to get done? What do you want to launch or offer? Map out when you want to focus on each thing in the year. Don’t forget that you should allow for planned holidays and personal retreats that you know you will not be able to work.
4. Consider if you have the foundations in place to support your plans
i.e. are your systems and processes ready? Do you need to do any preparation such as branding, revamping of website and services e.t.c? Break it down into manageable bits like in quartets-90 days (3 months) which you can then break down into monthly goals.
Final thoughts
By thinking through the above points, you’ll be able to create a solid strategy and plan for your career or business in the New Year. Now get on with finishing the rest of 2020 strong!
If you get on with it some of the benefits will be amazing:-
- You will not feel under pressure, so you can create a well-thought-out plan without the rush
- You will be one step ahead and can fully enjoy your December and the wind down knowing that you have a plan in place already
- You will be able to use the full 12 months of 2021 and not waste January trying to figure it all out. You will maximize your time!
- The only way to get a different result is to do things differently. Visionaries put things in place to support the success of the business and career in advance.
A great way to do this is to join the Visionaries Tribe, where you will get coaching and the necessary skills to plan and strategize for 2021 which will grow your business and career exponentially. The Visionaries tribe is a virtual coaching platform for pioneers that is subscription based.
For sh2500 per month only you get 2 coaching sessions (1 individual and 1 group coaching), weekly teachings, and networking with other leaders. We have an offer of sh6000 for 3 months ending this weekend on 14th Nov 2020 by 10 am, take advantage of this today! Register by clicking on this link https://bit.ly/2TKc9LP
Well, maybe you would like to just settle for a one-on-one session with me or invite me to facilitate your end-of-year staff review.
Say no more, contact me at 0720799039, I will be glad to help!
