With the spike in covid cases and a need for normalcy, we have to plan our time efficiently to be more productive for the year. January is the month of fresh starts, brainstorming, fine-tuning, and preparation.
Fresh starts. We are at crossroads in the wake of 2022. What will we do? What do we want to change? What can we try differently that wasnt so great in previous year? This is the perfect time to decide what to keep, what to ditch, and what to invest more time into so you can make it more than you ever imagined. For me, it’s growing my resell business and branding my blog. These are two very large goals with everything else on my plate (family, teaching, tennis, traveling, etc) but they are realistic achievements if I plan accordingly and stay on task.
Brainstorming. This is where we sit with a pencil and notepad to determine where we go from here?!?!? Choosing an “all together new goal” will require some research and detailed planning. Depending on the size of your goal, you might need some additional help to be your most productive self. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you are unsure. Find an expert in that field. Go to social media group pages about your interest/goal and ask for HELP. I’ve joined several reseller groups on Facebook and Instagram as well as subscribing to blogs and YouTube pages of successful resellers in my niche. Now that we’ve researched HOW to achieve our goal, it’s time to fine-tune those steps into a solid action plan.
Fine-tune. We have laid the foundation for success through research and connecting with others with like minded interests. Now it’s time to narrow down what we want the final product to look like and the MOST logical way to get there without burning ourselves out. Weed out those unrealistic expectations and focus in on those processes that will get you to your end goal and LAST. The key here isn’t finishing and moving on. It’s attaining a lifelong goal that will continue to bring happiness and fulfillment to you beyond the completion stage. For my branding goal, I plan on focusing in on travel and productivity. Therefore I will look into collaborations with brands that focus on travel planning, travel accommodations, activities and places of interest. This will allow me to do what I love while growing my own brand and reseller business. As I travel, I shop in thrift stores and consignment shops in every city I travel to which accomplishes several things at a time.
Preparation. This is the final step of our pre-planning process. By this time, we hope that you have truly nailed down what you plan to achieve by the end of goal setting year. You‘ve acquired a small group of people to support you, narrowed down your achievable steps, and we are ready to start putting things in motion to complete one of your Big Four Goals. If you‘ve forgotten what this is, simply go back and read my 4:3 Goal Setting post for more detailed information and free printables. So I’m ready to start my journey in being a brand ambassador for travel related companies. I’ve researched and joined interest groups so I’m ready to prepare myself for success. Well what does that look like? For my goal, preparation would be making sure that my social media presences portrays my own brand. This will require me sitting down and making sure that what I’m putting out for the world to see is what my potential collaborators will want to be associated with.
These steps should have you off to a great start in January! Hopefully by February we are on to establishing our Big Four!