Setting business goals for the new year can feel a bit abstract – finding the balance between wishful thinking and genuine move-the-needle & exciting goals.
The temptation can be to overhaul everything at once – and that can quickly slide into overwhelm…
In this video, I’m walking you through a simple process to set clear, focused priorities for the year ahead, starting with a quick audit of the four key areas of your business – Attract, Nurture, Sell, and Deliver.
By the end, you’ll have a simple, clear approach to your Q1 priorities, and a way to check in on progress month by month.
STEP 1: PRIORITIZE – THE 4 KEY AREAS OF BUSINESS
Grab a sheet of paper and divide it into four columns:
- Attract – How people find you and enter your world
- Nurture – How you stay in touch and build relationships with them
- Sell – How you actually convert people into paying customers
- Deliver – How you deliver your offers, products, or services
These are our four key areas of business; each one plays a part in how your business runs and grows.
Once you’ve got your columns, ask yourself these questions & makes notes for each:
- What’s working well? What’s bringing in leads, nurturing connections, helping you sell, or making delivery smooth & efficient?
- What do you want to release or adjust? Are there tasks that are draining your energy but not getting results? Are there ‘just because’ habits, like spending a lot of time on social media, where you’re not seeing a return on that, and it needs to be refined, reduced or released?
- Where are the gaps? Are there areas that feel a bit neglected? For example, maybe you’re doing well with Nurture and Delivery, but there’s a big gap in Attract. Or perhaps Delivery is the part that’s taking up too much of your time, and you’re exhausted trying to keep up.
STEP 2: PICK 1-3 PRIORITIES FOR Q1
Once you’ve done this review, it’s time to narrow your focus.
You won’t be able to do all-the-things at once (hello burnout!) so instead pick 1-3 priorities for Q1 that will have the biggest impact. Ideally these will be your ‘low-hanging fruit’ – projects that will make everything else easier or more efficient.
When you focus on a few key priorities, you’re more likely to finish them. And when you finish them, you’ll see the results of your work more quickly.
I go into this in detail in a free workbook called Simplify Operations. I show you how to look at your workload and see ways to simplify, automate and leverage what you do (with a bunch of practical examples) – have a look here!
STEP 3: Monthly CEO Check-Ins
To help you stay on track, schedule a monthly ‘CEO Date’ with yourself.
Set aside 1-2 hours at the start of each month to review the past month’s progress and set goals for the next month. Make sure you have your key data ready for your review (like website traffic, social metrics, or email engagement).
This monthly check-in will help you course-correct, prioritize, and adjust your approach, so you’re feeling more in control of your actions, and seeing the results of those.
I hope you’ve found this useful!
If you’d like to go deeper with this process, check out my CEO (Creative, Organized, Energized) Planning Course.
