Soul Proprietor - Plan for success

As the year winds to a close, many entrepreneurs begin planning for the next one. (Some never make a plan but the pros always do.)

I begin my yearly planning in October. I take a weekend off to dream, scheme, pick auspicious dates, and carefully map out the next year. Once I have my agenda laid out, everything is reverse engineered and put right on my calendar.

I don’t wait for things to happen. I create the conditions for success.

Here’s what I do:

I begin by assessing the previous year. What worked? What didn’t? What things made my heart sing? Where do I need to declutter? What am I ready to retire?

Next, it’s time to get clarity on what I want in the next year. This begins by finding my number (how much money I want to make). I’ve written a post on that – please go here and check it out to learn how I figure out my numbers every year. This is the MOST important part of my planning. If I know my number, I can create my plans and products to help me achieve that goal.

Next, I give my business a once over and ask myself these questions:

Who are you serving?

What are you offering?

What will you charge?

What are the things that require little to no interaction my part?

How easy is it for clients to work with me?

Where can I be found this year?

What am I resisting?

What needs to change?

Where am I stuck?

What new things am I ready to try?

I do a lot of journaling around these questions and from those notes, I’m ready to craft my plan. This has worked well for me now for years and I’ve been able to reach my goals every single time.

Because that’s the secret: once you have a clear idea on where you’re going, you can find your way there.

There are many other planning tools and systems that you may want to check out. I recommend:

Leonie Dawson – her yearly best selling planning tools are a colorful and fun way to get your biz (and life) moving in the right direction.

Nice Ops – Amber McCue’s Fresh Start is a must-have for every entrepreneur.

Cornerstone – Create As Folk’s Laura Simms has put together a wonderful year long planning journey that goes deep. I signed up and am digging what she’s serving up.

As far as which planning tools you may want on hand, here are my favorites:

I always map my year out on a wall calendar. This gives me the agenda at a glance. My favorite are the dry erasable ones (just in case my plan changes): AT-A-GLANCE XL Wall Planner 2015, Erasable, 2-Sided, Reversable, Vertical and Horizontal, 48 x 32 Inches (PM326-28)

I have a Franklin Cover planner that I have used for years but I’m now lusting after a Filofax, this one in particular: Filofax 2015 A5 Organizer, Calipso Purple (C022496-15).

I use a Laurel Denise planner for mapping out my blog posts.

BUT I have my eye on this bad boy: EPIC BLOG: One-Year Editorial Planner

Because I’m an incredible geek, I’ve also been grooving on customizing my planner with stickers and such. I get a lot of inspiration over at Philofaxy. Beware – you can spend hours there.

Need a little magic? Here’s my yearly New Year’s Eve ritual that I do every year to set the tone: My Top Rituals for Uber Success.

Want a tarot spin on how to set goals? Here ya go: Goal Setting with Tarot.

Check out this post on Divining Your Goals from The Midheaven. YES!

Here’s to your best business year yet!

Blessings,

Theresa