Year End Business Planning: End 2018 Right + Start 2019 Strong!
The New Year is upon us. The years go by so fast, and so slow at the same time.
The days are long, but the years are short, right?
So much can change in a year. You might have changed a lot. You’ve probably done a lot in your business and personal life.
This is a time of reflection for most of us. A lot of us like to think about the past year and start dreaming and planning for the next one.
We might look back on this year and be amazed at how much we accomplished.
Or we might wish we had done more, or done things differently. (If this is you, it’s okay! You can use that experience to move forward.)
Either way, evaluating the past year is critical for planning a successful new year.
Why Reflection is Important
Sometimes we’re tempted to ignore the past year and immediately jump into the next one. This might be because we didn’t accomplish what we wanted to.
Maybe we had a rough year that we just don’t feel like processing. (Been there!) Or maybe you did a lot and you’re on a roll, so you don’t want to slow down even for a moment. You just go blasting into the new year with fervor.
But reflection is just as important as planning.
You need to look at what worked and what didn’t. Don’t be afraid to evaluate your mistakes and how you could have done things differently.
It also feels great to get some closure before moving forward.
So what should you evaluate? How do you start?
Grab a journal or a Word doc, make yourself a cup of tea, and take some time to answer these questions.
Questions to Evaluate Your Past Year
-Overall, how did 2018 go for you in life and business? Is there anything you need to get off your chest?
-What goals did you accomplish in 2018?
-Were there any goals you didn’t accomplish? What were the stumbling blocks?
-What went well this year?
-What didn’t go so well? Why didn’t they and how could you have improved them?
-What mistakes did you make? What would you have done differently?
-What new skills did you pick up this year?
-How are your current systems working out for you? Do you need any adjustments?
Evaluating the past year is critical for planning a successful new year. Click To Tweet
Check your metrics
-What was your gross income this year? Business expenses?
-How much did your mailing list grow?
-Which products and services brought in the most money?
-Which products or services were not profitable?
-Which blog posts or web pages got the most traffic?
-Which opt-in offers performed the best?
-Which opt-in offers bombed?
Now that you’ve taken a good hard look at your 2018, let’s start planning for an incredible 2019!
Questions for a Successful 2019:
-What are your hopes and dreams for 2019? Just brain dump this and write your little heart out. What would you love to accomplish? What would be your dream and the best-case scenario? What would be freaking awesome if it happened in real life?
-What new products or services would you love to create next year?
-What new team members or staffing changes would you love to make?
-What is your income target?
-Do you want to take any days off or vacations this year? Work vacations or actual vacations?
-Any new education, training, or coaching you want to invest in?
-What new systems would you like to invest in or implement?
-What is your top priority for 2019?
-What actions or goals would make the biggest difference in your business for 2019?
Add any questions that feel right to you!
When you can see where you’ve been, you can better plan for where you’re going.
Here’s to an amazing 2019!
Need help getting your big 2019 plans off the ground? My team and I can help you plan and execute your year and accelerate your results.
