This year most of us started with set plans and goals – both personally and professionally. Then it all got shaken up and most business owners focused on adapting as quickly as possible.
That being said, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t plan for the year ahead. The world is slowly coming out of lockdowns and opening up more broadly for businesses, so there are no more excuses. If you’re ready to get out of survival mode and focus on growth, it’s time to get down to business and start planning for 2022.
In this article, I’m going to reveal to you the exact system I use to create a 12-month plan for business and personal life. I’ve been using this strategy for the past 12 years, and it has helped me become more productive. By implementing this strategy, you’ll know what you have coming up and you won’t find yourself double-booked and doubly stressed.
PLEASE NOTE: If you have a life or business partner, for maximum benefit, I highly recommend that you share this blog with them.
Step 1: Plan your personal life
After being in business for more than 10 years, I’ve worked out that if your personal life isn’t working, your business productivity is probably running at less than 30 per cent. If you’re not taking care of yourself, then your business is going to suffer, and other people around you are going to suffer as well. So you need to make sure that you’re taking care of yourself.
The first step to planning your year is making a list of the important dates in your personal life. This way you can balance growing your business with enjoying time with your family and friends.
Here are special occasions you can add to your calendar:
- Add in your birthday and family members’ birthdays
- Pick 1 day of the week with no work
- Add in 4 x 2-day breaks per year
- Add in date nights with your partner
- Add in time for personal hobbies or charity
- Add in time for personal care (hair, massage, nails, etc)
Step 2: Plan your business life
The next step is to plan your business life. The analogy you’ll use when planning your business life is the old time management principle of the big rocks, pebbles and sand.
If you haven’t heard this before, let me give you a quick overview of this concept. In business, you’ve got these three different items, you got your big rocks, pebbles and sand, and you want to fit them into the jar. In order to fit everything, you must put in the big rocks first and then the pebbles, and finally, you put the sand that goes in between the big rocks and pebbles.
When planning your big rocks, pebbles and sand, make sure to apply the concept of batching so you can save even more time. For example, if you need to do 10 sales calls a week for you to hit your sales goals, then consider doing five on a Tuesday and another five on a Thursday. Because if you schedule all of them separately, this means you have to prepare for each call separately, which may take half an hour to get into the flow.
Big rocks
The big rocks symbolise the activities that contribute to business growth. By doing these activities, you can attract more customers and generate more sales. Depending on your industry your big rocks could include attending expos, hosting workshops, organising conferences or creating content.
Pebbles
The next one is identifying your pebbles. These are activities you need to do to deliver the promise of your product or service. This could include webinars, podcasts, Facebook live streams, and so much more.
Sand
Finally, sand represents everything else you need to do to run your business. These are minor tasks that are not as important as a lot of the other things on your plate. From performance reviews, team meetings to responding to emails, you can add these activities to your calendar.
Other activities you can add as your sand are:
- 90-day action plan review sessions (quarterly)
- All-hands team meetings (fortnightly)
- Team reward days (monthly/quarterly)
- Stocktake, cleaning days, etc (quarterly)
Once you’ve identified your big rocks, pebbles and sand, start adding them to your calendar.
Step 3: Share with your team
Set a time with your team managers to review your growth (big rocks), delivery (pebbles) and support (sand) plans for your business. This step is vital so your team knows what the company aims to achieve next year and everyone can work together to make that happen.
Step 4: Add everything in your diary
If you’re using an online calendar app, make sure to take time and put everything into your diary. By blocking those important dates, you’ll have a constant reminder of where you need to be and what you need to be doing.
Step 5: Print copies and post them on your wall
Once everything has been finalised, print copies of your calendar and give them to all the people that need it.
As we start a brand new year, it’s important to learn the latest strategies that are working in today’s market. If you want to get all the training you need to rebuild your business fast, then it’s time to attend your first business training free. For more details, simply go to BusinessBlueprint.com
