Planning Ahead: What you NEED to know
I am BIG on quarterly planning.
It has completely changed the way I move through my business throughout the year. Instead of feeling on edge at all times wondering what I'm supposed to be doing, I can relax knowing that the next 90 days are fully thought through.
Why Quarterly? Here is my take...
Not planning at all
So many business owners just... WING IT. I've been there. It can be hard to slow down when so much is going on.
But this causes two problems:
You will constantly add new projects to your plate. I see SO many business owners do this. This is no bueno! You won't be able to truly dedicate the amount of time needed to each project. Or worse, you will stretch yourself far too thin and burn yourself out.
You won't get important projects done at all. There are countless internal projects that are important but not urgent. I'm talking about the type of things that can take your business to the next level: exploring a new avenue of marketing, applying for certain certifications, switching up tech, researching things, etc. When you don't plan ahead, you are working reactively instead of proactively and you will never take your business to the next level.
Planning monthly or weekly
It's important to make weekly and monthly goals, for sure! But only looking a month out...
won't give you enough time to get certain things done.
won't give you the big picture.
puts too much pressure on yourself or your company to get things done with limited time.
takes too much time! You don't need to meet this frequently.
Planning Yearly
I met a woman once who planned her entire year all in one day. If that is you - bitchin'! That is impressive and I am here for it. If you AREN'T that woman, here's why:
Planning Yearly...
Is WAY too much pressure. A year is a huge chunk of time!
Doesn't give room for pivoting. A lot can change over the course of a year.
Planning Quarterly
This is it Goldilocks. This is just right.
Planning Quarterly is zoomed out of the calendar enough that you can revisit the big ideas in your business - your high-level goals, your values, etc. It's just enough time to get a few solid projects done but not too much time that it's intimidating. Doing some hardcore planning for the quarter all at once means that you have 90 days where you don't have to think about it.
Looking to add more ease and space to your calendar? Click here to learn how you can plan your entire next quarter in just ONE day!