The holidays are over, the New Year has started, and that means back in action building your business for growth in 2019! Are you excited with clarity and a definitive focus or do you feel a bit of floundering around wishing someone would tell you exactly what to do to gain momentum in your business?
If you are an entrepreneur or small business owner with goals for growth in 2019, then you will want to have a 90 day business goal or growth plan. So you may say, ‘…yes, good, let’s go do it, but where do I start?’
Creating Your 90 Day Business Plan
The first step in your 90 day business plan is to determine the outcome you desire with specifics. This means if you want to grow your income or sales by $5000 a month, your desired outcome or result goal would need to state not only this end goal, but also how you will achieve it. For example, your outcome goal may be written as follows: I will increase my profits an additional $5000 a month by launching a new group program online and selling products with targeted promotions on social media.
The second step of your 90 day plan requires you to know and state your number one focus. This focus becomes your priority. Yes, you need to narrow down only one focus, or big project, for the 90 days. Does this focus align with your quarter one outcome goal and will it help you achieve the goal you have set forth?
Aligning With the Why of your 90 Day Plan
We cannot move ahead without first connecting to the fuel of what drives us forward towards our goals and growth. For those of you who know my business coaching, I not only grow the business, but I also grow the person and entrepreneur behind the business. You need to stop here in your 90 day plan and ask yourself the raw question of why do I want this? What will this give me and does it align with my core values?
Identify Key Action Steps for 90 Day Plan
Now that you have connected your goal with your why and to the alignment of your values, it is time to break that big goal of yours down into bite size steps. Going from a big idea and dream into the reality of making it happen, takes some brainstorming and breaking it down into smaller actionable steps. Their is overwhelm looking at the end goal sometimes and so we are going to simplify that for you. Here is where you want to start:
- What is the first step you need to take towards your goal?
- What is the first milestone to complete for this goal and the timeline?
- List out the action steps you need to take between the first milestone and the first step?
- Cement each action step in your agenda/schedule and time block them off.
This plan seems so simple yet many entrepreneurs work without a plan because we are big idea action takers and so sometimes a plan just is not in our natural DNA. This process will not only reduce the overwhelm and floundering, but also gives clear direction, focus, and realistic steps for momentum.
I was just reminded about how important it is to simplify and focus when you are building something new or big. As I was listening to a podcast they shared that when Oprah expanded to her new television network where billions was invested, her team kept asking the question, “What is the next step?” This is a reminder to keep it simple, keep it in small bite size action steps, and stay focused for the present while focusing only on the next step.
Peak Energy Performance for your 90 Day Plan
Yes, I am back on you, the person behind the business, and the one driving the growth and action steps in the 90 day plan. News flash, if you are not good, those results you want with your 90 day goal, will not be good either. We need to get you in your best state possible to perform at your peak so you can achieve the outcome you desire. I am a big promoter of self awareness, self care, and self leadership. Basically you need to think of yourself as an athlete here training for a competition in 90 days from now giving yourself everything you need now to be and perform at your best.
Here are a few quick ideas to support your peak performance as an entrepreneur and business owner:
- What does your body need to be at its best? (sleep, movement, nutrition and work/rest cycles)
- Is there an emotion or belief depleting your energy, limiting you, or interfering with your performance? If so, acknowledge it, process it, choose an emotion or belief that will elevate and energize you, and repeat it daily.
- What is the vision you have for your business and life and where you want to take it? What thoughts, mindset, and self-talk do you need to achieve it. Practice this daily.
- Does your working environment support your goals or is there anything you can do to enhance your environment to support your peak performance?
Staying Motivated with Your 90 Day Plan
Being an entrepreneur and building a business is a very interesting journey as you often do not get immediate results while you are creating, developing, and planning. This means you are not getting a feedback loop to know how you are doing or if what you are doing is bringing or will bring the outcome you seek. You absolutely will want to set up some performance measures and track these and know that any growth is a positive step forward.
Since you may not get a lot of external feedback right away with your efforts, you need to acknowledge your own efforts and progress in the action steps you are completing, the milestones reached, and every small win. You are your own celebration party planner and small wins are cause for celebration. Have some rewards set up for yourself, stop to recognize your success no matter the size, and create a win jar, chart or vision board so you can see and be reminded of the progress you are making.
If there is one big lesson I learned in 2018 as I grow myself and my business, it is that happiness proceeds success. Many people believe success will make them happy, but happiness proceeds success. So, as you venture through growing your business, know that it is not the outcome or success in achieving a specific outcome that will bring you happiness and success, but rather a happiness in the journey daily. If you can embrace happiness in the growth, in the entrepreneur journey of figuring it all out as you go, and in each action step, success will already be achieved.
What is your 90 day business growth goal and what do you need as an entrepreneur to perform at your peak?
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