How to finish the year strong
As the year is coming to a close, there’s a lot to be excited and nervous for. What were your achievements in 2019? What are you looking forward to in 2020?
Although December slows down and there’s not much new business for the majority of us, as entrepreneurs, we want to finish the year strong because setting the tone for the new year not only comes from the first things you do in January, but also the last things you do in December.
Today, I’m going to share with you a few quality wrap-up activities you can do to prepare yourself for your best year yet.
Wrap up for real
Take a look at everything that you have left to do and figure out what’s really in the books for this year and what’s going to be a task for next year. This is a busy time of year and you’re likely going to have personal commitments outside of work (holiday gatherings anyone?) that require your full time and attention.
So, realistically figure out what you can and cannot do and actually take a step back when you say you will. Hold that last session with your client before the end of the year. Wrap up that finally social media campaign. Push that webinar to January if you can’t get it out before the holiday season gets too busy. Tie up all those loose ends and make a plan for anything that’s undone, so that you can take a break from your business and feel confident that you can pick up right away when you return.
It’s SO important during this time of year that you set that boundary between your work and personal life. You A) need the time off and B) owe it to the people that you love to give them your full time and attention.
Start planning for next year
Take out your long-term and short-term goals, your vision, and your values and start taking a crack at your plan for next year.
The year planning sessions can be a beast to tackle. They usually take at least one entire day, sometimes even two to really lay out everything that needs to be done. The important thing is that you take the time to do it because it will really save you a lot of time in the long run in maintaining the organization, efficiency, and flow of your business.
In this session (or retreat), review your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Take a look at the tools that you’re using and the people that you’re working with. Do a business audit if you need to (or hire someone to do it for you!) Whatever works for you, make sure you have a plan for the next year and the next quarter. January you will thank you for sorting that out ahead of time.
Actually celebrate your wins from 2019
I mean it. Like actually celebrate. We all have a lot of big goals: some of them we totally rocked, while others, we were WAY off from hitting the mark. It’s human nature for us to focus on what didn’t go well and beat ourselves up over the one or two goals that we didn’t achieve. But no matter what, it’s really important for us to give ourselves pats on the back when we deserve it.
So really celebrate at least ONE thing that you think you totally rocked. Did you launch your first course? Awesome! Only two people signed up? That’s still TWO entire people that believe in your vision. Did you rebrand? Amazing. Your growth rate wasn’t as large as you hoped? Hey, it’s still progress, and you feel GREAT about how your brand appears, don’t you? Celebrate it. You deserve it.
If you’re finding that you didn’t achieve ANY of your goals, you might be feeling a little worried. But seriously, don’t be too hard on yourself. Not completing your goals doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re a failure. You could also just not be making the right goals. In this case, it might be time for you to consult with someone like a business consultant, who can help you audit your business and make a plan that you can commit to. If this is you, celebrate the fact that you’re committed to making a real change in 2020 that will help your business grow.
Conclusion
Your year will HAVE to finish strong if you follow these tips. So, what are you waiting for? Wrap up those loose ends, create a stellar plan for the new year, and REALLY celebrate the great things that you did in 2019!