Simple, Effective, and Painless Business and Personal Planning Strategies

Would you love to crack the code on being able to accomplish what you really want? It starts with planning. Define your values, define your goals based on your values, and create a plan for achieving those goals. When you do this, you create a map for manifesting what you want in life.

Business growth, career, and personal life planning should be fun. It’s like putting a puzzle together or painting on canvas. You are creating.

Get to know yourself. Of course, you know yourself. Wait, do you really? When is the last time you did a values audit or thought about what is the most important to you? It’s easy to be on autopilot and go through life paying bills and making it through the day only to start another day. The problem with autopilot is that you end up doing things that don’t line up with your values.

Notice what you value. Faith? Honesty? Integrity? Family? Making a Contribution? Health Travel? If you want more ideas, you can google the word “values” and this will return multiple values inventory lists. Once you are clear about your values, notice if your time is devoted to what you value.

Set your goals based on your values. For each value, create goals for the year. If you value travel and adventure, do you have any of this planned this year? If you value your faith, are you devoting time to study, pray, learn, meditate? If you value making a contribution, create goals that reflect this value.

If you own a business, is your business aligned with your values? It is tough to grow a business if any part of it conflicts with what you believe in and cherish. Can you more closely align your business with your values?

“It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” —J. K Rowling

Now that you are thinking about goals that line up with your true values, it is time to shift towards planning. Most likely your plan requires money to be coming into your life. What is your plan to grow your money? If you own a business, you will want to plan your revenue streams. Does your income come from clients? How many clients at what rate do you want this year?

If you don’t own a business and you work for someone, does the income you make cover your expenses, plus extra’s, plus retirement savings? If not, what changes are you planning for this year? Getting a raise? Getting a promotion? Changing jobs? Adding another stream of revenue like a side business or a side job?

Create a spreadsheet or write on a piece of paper this column titles:

Value    Goal    Plan   Date   Resources   Notes

Get your plan down in one place. Look at it as a live, working document. You can change, delete or add as you go through the year.

Take it up a notch, and make a goal poster to match your plan for the year.

Still feeling resistant? Here are some ideas on how to overcome even the most resistant thoughts regarding planning.

• It’s boring.  Find a way to make it fun. Turn on music. Have a glass of wine. Cut out pictures that represent what you want to do and stick them on a poster board or create a Pinterest board for your goals. You can make it private, too, if you don’t want to share it with the world.
• It’s difficult. How many new things have you already learned in your life already? You know you are a successful learner. This is no different. 

“The best way of learning about anything is by doing.” —Richard Branson

• I am not good at planning things. You don’t need to be the best planner ever. Planning requires just getting some ideas down. Your plan can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be. You could have a bulleted list on one piece of paper. Or you could have a multi-tabbed spreadsheet. Or you could have a multiple page document, powerpoint, poster, etc. Make your plan match you. How are you motivated?
• What if I plan and then nothing works out? This is one of the most common limiting beliefs about planning. When you write down something, it feels like a promise to yourself. And it should feel like a promise. However, remember, your plans are yours and they can change because you decide to change them. Also, when you write down a plan, you start creative forces in motion that make completion more likely. If you want to master your mindset around this, check out my Master Your Biz Mindset Workshop
• I am not a structured person. Would you believe that I thought this way about myself the whole time I was growing up? I learned how to be more structured and how to make structure fit my personality. I discovered that structure is an incredible tool and it’s not boring at all. I still am a spontaneous, fun person even though I follow structure in many aspects of my life.
• I don’t have time to plan. Your plan can take as much or as little time as you want. You could spend a few minutes, hours, or days. You get to choose.
• I already have a general idea of what I want to do, why do I need to create a plan? It’s easy to put off a general plan. When you get specific, you start moving toward the goals in your plans. You can still be flexible even when you get specific.

Why not spend a few minutes planning, right now, to make this year your signature year? Make this year the year where everything comes together for you and you make “it” happen.

If you liked this, you will love this article on creating what you want

(Originally posted on my blog)

Dr. Sheri Kaye Hoff

Business and Life Strategist known for inspiring massive action and a catalyst for personal and business growth, joy, and profits in a way that is fun, relaxing, and fulfilling, Sheri Kaye Hoff inspires people to the do work they love and make money.She is a near-death survivor and thriver. Learn more about Sheri

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