You know you are too busy when you do not feel like you have time to think. It is vital to be regularly reflecting on your business. Ideally, you need to carve out some thinking time every week. I strongly urge you to take at least half a day once a quarter (4 times a year) to review your business and make plans for the next 90 days. One of those times should involve a longer-range view of the year just gone and the one ahead.
After the disrupted 2 years we have had in 2020-21, I am urging my clients to invest some review time between now and Christmas. Many businesses have had to (or chose to) operate differently in response to Covid lockdown restrictions. Some have adapted and changed their offering quite significantly.
Weariness is real
Rather than just assume it is business as usual heading into 2022 we need to take stock of where we are, and what we are doing as we close out 2021.
People are weary. We are trying to get going and be excited about the opportunities ahead, but there is a weariness that must be factored in. As suggested in a recent article it is important that we have a good break over the Christmas – New Year period. 3 weeks if possible.
A FREE Review Template
As part of my Quarterly planning process, I have created a template to review every quarter. At the end of 2021 I have adapted it to help you review the year just gone. This FREE template consists of a series of questions to help you think deeply about your year.
The review template is a fillable PDF. I suggest you download it and take your laptop to a local café or to your favourite thinking spot AWAY FROM YOUR OFFICE. Disconnect from the internet and spend an unhurried hour (or two) thinking and answering the 9 questions.
- What goals have you achieved?
- What goals have you NOT achieved?
- What are the consequences of the Goals NOT achieved?
- What was your biggest win?
- What (or who) was your biggest frustration?
- What (or who) was your biggest time waster(s)?
- What did you avoid? (Be honest)
- If you could have the year over again, what would you do differently?
- What have you learned about yourself? Remember small business success is a personal growth journey.
- Then there are 3 columns to help you make decisions:
- Q4 – things that must be done before Christmas
- Delete – things you will no longer do
- Next year – tasks that need to be done in Q1 next year
Finally, if you would like to be guided through a planning process that will help you get ready for Q1 2022 please check out my Online Quarterly Planning Workshop coming up on December 16th.
This workshop will enable you to get your first quarter for next year ready to go. Once done, you will be much better placed mentally and emotionally to enjoy a decent break from work over the festive season.
