The 4 Things to Do in Q1

We are well into the second month of the year.  What are you doing towards making this year your best year ever? There are four things that you should be doing before the end of the first quarter. If you wait too late, you will have missed the chance to start the year off on a good note.

 

 

1. Recognize that last year is over!
Don’t forget about what happened in your business Last Year, but move on. You cannot undo it, but you can use it as a learning experience for the coming year. In This Year, you get a “Do-Over” – another opportunity to test and learn to get it right.

You should be wrapping up your taxes and closing out your books for last year’s revenues. This must be done, but it doesn’t exactly motivate you to start this year’s goal, especially if you did not have a good year.

Why not turn it around by changing your thought process?
“Last Year’s learnings will be This Year’s profits!”

2. Update your vision board
When you created this year’s vision board at the end of December, you didn’t know what you didn’t know! You’re now in February and you have a better lay of the land. You have an idea of where you were last year, and where you need to be this year.

a. Doublecheck the dates you set to see if they are realistic – for example, change the 3/31/22 project launch date if there is no way you can do the research, hire the team you need and execute by that date.
b. If you have a strategy, you should have an action plan. Review each strategy to ensure that you have actions stacked against each one.
c. If you had an annual goal, break it down into quarterly goals – you are already in Q1.

 

3. Start with low-hanging goals to get them out of the way.
Let’s say you have a goal of contacting five (5) people per week, but you haven’t started yet.

a. Create a template for an email so that you can get the first level of contact out of the way simply by typing in the email address.
b. It’s called a warm call for a reason. Call the people you know best immediately to warm you up for calling those you do not know (cold calls.) You get an opportunity to practice with familiar people without feeling they will lose respect for you.
c. To further warm up, call smaller, repeat clients first, especially if you know they will renew their accounts. After securing those, you will feel better about reaching out to larger clients who might not value you as much.

4. Create Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for your action plan items.

a. Brainstorm the KPIs you want to use as measurement during the year.
b. Review your strategies and action plans for measurability – remember, the “M’ in your SMART goals means measurable.
c. Streamline your reports. Cull the number of KPIs to the basic ones that you need.
d. Ensure the KPIs are not “nice to haves” – make sure you can use them to run your business. Set yourself up for success for the rest of the year.

If you take the time now to align your goals, you should be in an excellent position going into Q2.