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By:  Melanie Colusci

The countdown is on, before you know it 2018 will be here and we will rewind the clock to start the journey of working toward and completing our goals for the year all over again. I love this time of year because it gives us the opportunity to wipe the slate clean and start fresh.  However, it’s not 2018 yet!  So…what are those key items you want to accomplish between now and the end of the year to give you the best start to the New Year you can possibly have?

Here are a few from my list. Use these to help cement your year-end plan!

1. Review the budget versus actual expenses

I wish I could spend whatever I wanted whenever I wanted, but since that is not my reality it’s important I budget and stick to it.  A budget will enable you to plan your cash flow needs better throughout the year.  It also helps you see when your projections weren’t on the mark. Did you spend more or less than you anticipated? Were there certain categories you had planned for that ended up looking different?  Do you need to make any adjustments for next year.

2. Review the marketing plan

I sometimes feel like marketing is hit or miss. So how do we know if it’s effective or not? With marketing it’s important you track the activity that is created as a result. During this time of year I review each of the marketing initiatives I’ve implemented and the tracking of those programs. This helps me determine what will continue into the next year, what should continue but be modified, and what should be scrapped all together.  If it’s not working don’t keep spending the time and money on it!

3. Review systems and processes

I take extra time at the end of the year to review the different systems and processes I’ve had in place over the past year. What’s worked?  What hasn’t? What adjustments could be made to enhance the client/customer experience or help me work smarter and not harder? How will I implement these changes? I need to make sure I have these incorporated either into my calendar or my daily strategic action items.

4. Finish those nagging to-do items

I take extra time to organize my to-do list and then schedule in my calendar those items that I have been procrastinating on.  Why start the New Year with to-do items that you might feel guilty about leaving for so long?  Just bite the bullet and get them done.  Don’t let them perpetually stay on your list.

5. Declutter and clean the office

It always feels so good to me to come home to a nice clean uncluttered home. So why wouldn’t we want to have the same environment in our office? I regularly vacuum and dust my office, but at the end of the year I take extra time to do the deep clean. One of the components of my deep clean is to review the stack of reading that has managed to accumulate throughout the year which I have been meaning to get to. It’s during this declutter time that I will get rid of the outdated items and schedule time to read the other still pertinent pieces.

It may not be realistic to complete 100% of each of these items, however by focusing on them I usually make more progress than I would otherwise. Blocking out time in your calendar and treating it like you would any other appointment will help create the space for you to work on your top five.

Let’s not forget about another critical planning component, GOALS! Take the time to review how you did in relation to your goals for this year. Look at where you hit or surpassed your goals, where you almost hit your goal, and where you might have come short.  It’s important that you allow yourself time now to write your goals for 2018.  Will they stay the same? What will change? Are your new goals helping move your business toward your vision?

I am going to challenge everyone reading this. As you are looking toward the holidays and the end of the year and maybe pulling out the goals you created at the beginning of the year, what smaller goals can you create and tactics (day-to-day actions) can you employ that will help you achieve these goals? Remember, focus on the activity and the goal will happen!

In my recently released book titled “From Start-Up to Success: Navigating the Journey to Becoming (and Staying) a Successful Entrepreneur” there are many other helpful ideas to becoming the best entrepreneur you can be.  Make sure you check it out and watch for more to come. You’ll be happy you did!

Here’s to you. All my love,

Melanie

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