How to Plan 4th Quarter to Reach Goals and Prep for Next Year
It’s the end of September and we only have 3 months left in 2021. It seems to go faster each year.
Yearly Goal review
This is the perfect time to look back at those goals you set at the beginning of the year and see what you have left to accomplish. Are the goals you still have left applicable? As we learned from 2020, what we plan for in January may not be realistic later in the year.
Outline the items you still want to reach before the end of the year. What small steps will be required to reach each item? Write those down and include the time you think it will take to complete each one.
Make sure to include items that you’ll need for January! While we may be focusing on 2021, you also want to start planning for 2022. This is the perfect time to outline tasks that will help ensure you kick off the new year on the right foot.
You’ll want to take all those tasks you’ve identified and sort them into the order they need to occur. Some tasks will have dependencies while others do not. The tasks that can be completed in any order can be included where you’ll have a little extra time.
Scheduling
I find it helpful to look at a 3-month calendar and start by blocking off the holidays and/or any days you don’t want to work. These may be weekends, family time, or traveling. Once you’ve block days that are non-negotiable, you can see what’s left.
Begin laying out the tasks in your list by week from October through December. Keep in mind that you shouldn’t overbook yourself, especially on short holiday weeks. This is an extra stressful time of year for most people. Adding too much to your plate won’t help alleviate that stress. It’s best to give yourself some extra time than add on more than you can handle.
Things you may want to include outside of your yearly goals:
Reviewing financials: Block an entire day to look at these numbers and create estimates for the next year
Planning high level for 2022: At a high level, you want to know where you are headed. While you’ll get more specific at the beginning of January, this helps flush out your work
Detailed planning for January: If you wait until January to plan January, not much will get done. Think about what you want to accomplish in January and outline anything you need to do now, to make that happen.
CEO Annual Review: Set aside a day to be a CEO. This is where you would lay out the vision for the company, look at the numbers (financial, marketing, social, etc), and think about the big picture.
Strategy: Marketing, Sales, Systems - these are all areas where you should have a strategy. If you already have one, this is the time to review it and make sure it still aligns.
Summary
Identify remaining goals for the rest of the year
Block non-negotiable time in your calendar
Layout work by week
Give yourself time to work on the big picture items
Block time for rest
