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December 9th, 2015
The 80/20 way to review & plan for business
As a business & marketing strategist, one of my favorite elements of meeting clients who are ready to make big things happen is they’re ready for a plan. If that’s you, then keep reading! This post is going to give you a roadmap for creating a simple plan that draws on your strengths for the coming year.
I love it when clients are ready for a new normal because making step-by-step plans is something I’ve done for years. It’s easy to get clients excited about plans to gain more customers, higher sales or more free time. Who’s in, right? (If we should talk, let me know!)
One thing I notice is that my clients who feel most stuck are working hard. They’re working so hard that they know can’t just work harder next year. They won’t have anything left to give. And if that sounds like your life, it really can be different – that used to be my life too.
As I became more curious about strategy and met more business owners from all over the world, I noticed that the most successful business owners I knew had something in common.
The most successful business owners have a clear vision and daily habits that kept them out of reaction mode and focused on their goals.
Here’s what I mean:
- The most successful business owners I knew all had non-negotiable items that always got done every week.
- They knew exactly what got them results, and doubled down where it mattered.
- They had time to play, run out for coffee with friends and make their daily life flexible and casual.
- Email and social media are part of the role and they were still engaged in their communities, but it is not an all day affair.
- When it came to boundaries, they were firm and protected their down time.
- They are plugged into their numbers, from sales to page views and subscribers, but didn’t pin their self-worth on them.
A few years ago, this all seemed very luxurious (make that borderline magical) to me. If “They can breathe underwater” and “They wake up with perfect hair and makeup” were added to this list, they wouldn’t have seemed out of place.
Want to know their secret?
What sets top performing business owners and bloggers apart? They focus on doing jobs that make other things easier, and they act like bosses.
Bosses don’t try to do everything! They focus on the 20% of their actions that get results. Not the 80% that take up most of our day. This is also known as the Pareto Principle. You can leverage it to make more of an impact and get the right things done.
The great news is that it doesn’t matter how big your list is today, or how many additional sales you wish you made this month. If you’re willing to look at what’s working for you instead of what’s not – you can unlock great growth by doubling down on your strengths.
Sound good? I’ve made this year-end review & planning workbook based on the 80/20 principle to help you get started right:
Totally agree with the other comments! I’m drowning myself in work and busyness, and I still always feel behind. I’m trying to sit down and lay out some systems and get organized with business plans and all that jazz. This is definitely motivation I need! xx
My little planner heart be still. I’m excited for the new year but I need to make some changes to my work habits to make 2016 the best year yet! Thank you for this!
I hope it’s helpful, Erica! Enjoy, and thank you for making this part of your planning process this year!
Oh I love this! I’m definitely going to make this a priority next year. Love the worksheets as well, totally going to use those straight away!
Thanks Stephanie! This is the process I’m using to look back at the last year and focus my plans for next year, so I thought it would be worthwhile to write it down and share it out. I’m looking forward to seeing what you create, and I hope it’s helpful!