Plan for your Summer of Success!
Summer marks the midpoint in the year and is a great time to dust off your business goals, evaluate your performance and to determine what action you want to take going forward. If creating an action plan for the remainder of the year seems overwhelming or draining, consider developing a plan just for your Summer of Success! Here are 5 steps to help you get started:
Step 1: Evaluate where you are
Look at your year-to-date performance and compare it to your original plan. What is going well? Where are you falling short? Gain a solid understanding of your current position and how it may impact your ability to achieve your year-end goals. Don’t have year-end goals? Don’t worry. You can still benefit from putting a plan together now.
Step 2: Determine your Summer of Success goals
Complete this statement, “By the end of the summer, I want to accomplish the following…..” What are you most inspired to focus on? What will have the greatest impact on your business goals? What are you dreading doing and will be relieved when it is completed? Be as specific as possible about what you want to achieve, by when and how you will know it is completed.
Step 3: Break down your goals
Once you have determined your Summer of Success goals, break them down into manageable steps. Using a timeframe that is comfortable for you (day/week/month), determine what actions you need to take or tasks you need to complete to achieve your goals. Keep breaking down the goals until you get an “I can do that!” feeling.
Step 4: Plan for obstacles
Consider what might get in the way of achieving your goals and how you can overcome these obstacles. For example, many business owners have difficulty remaining focused. If this is true for you, you may want to review “5 Steps to Getting Focused” on my Biz Blog.
Step 5: Reward your success!
It is important to take the time to acknowledge and celebrate your successes. Why not plan for how you will celebrate once you accomplish your Summer of Success goals? Rewards can be as small or large as you determine is appropriate. Do you have a really BIG goal you want to accomplish? Consider a really BIG reward that will keep you on track and motivated to succeed.