Recently, I had someone ask me what is the most important thing that business owners need to know or the skill they need to have to be successful. Things that came to mind immediately were patience, delegation skills, processes, etc. But as far as the MOST important, PLANNING is the ONE thing that you need to move forward and be successful.
Here’s the problem. Many business owners start their business because they have a passion or skill for something, and they dive right in doing everything at once and treating all things equally. Often, this means starting and not finishing, dropping balls, and doing things that certainly aren’t as important as others. I know this sounds like prioritizing, because it IS. And the way to prioritize is to have a plan.
I also know that there are a lot of business owners out there who don’t want to have a plan or be tied to a calendar. Let me tell you this: FREEDOM IS IN THE PLAN. If you want more freedom and time for yourself and the things and people you love, you must plan. If you want your business to grow and not stagnate, you must plan. If you want to not walk around with your hair on fire in a state of overwhelm, you must plan.
Let me ask you this. If you wanted to run a marathon, would you do it without a training plan? If you want to lose weight or gain weight, would you not have a plan? Why aren’t you doing the same for your business? Planning helps you be strategic, prioritize, make informed decisions, and to say yes (or no) to opportunities that come your way. Planning is the ONLY path to sustainable growth and a sustainable business.
So, how do you plan better or start to plan? Here are a few tips.
1. Set Clear Goals
Choose 3 to 5 goals for the year and break them down into quarterly and monthly actions and USE YOUR CALENDAR AS YOUR ALLY and best team member.
2. Prioritize and Schedule
Prioritize projects or launches and then reverse engineer them from the deadline back, putting each step on the calendar along with time to work on each step.
3. Time Block your calendar!
Start with things for YOU, then put in the things that are set each week or month, then put in blocks for the other segments of your business. Make sure these are no more than 30 to 90 minutes as we don’t generally focus for more time than that.
4. Take Intentional Action
Each day, write your intentions and then choose THREE to act on—what will drive you toward your goal, what has a deadline, what will make you feel accomplished? Then schedule the THREE ON YOUR CALENDAR.
By embracing a strategic approach and implementing effective planning techniques, you can unlock your business’s full potential. Remember, a well-crafted plan is not a rigid constraint; it’s a flexible roadmap that empowers you to navigate challenges and seize opportunities.
Here’s an article highlighting the benefits of just a daily plan.
And if you’ve never downloaded it and want more guidance, here’s my Daily Productivity Planner: Daily Productivity Planner – Julie Miller Davis