Today is October 1st. As if on cue, the weather turned overnight from balmy to cool and rainy. It is a vivid reminder that things are shifting and that time is marching on. It’s been a great year so far for me with taking on new clients, learning new technologies, and creating new services. As you all know however, with any business there is always so much more to do. As October marks the beginning of the end of the year it is time to think about what still needs to get done. That list can get pretty daunting, so the question is how to prioritize?
If you are anything like me, you have about 50 projects whirling around in your head at any given time. It can get very overwhelming trying to decide where to start and where to focus your energy. In her book Stop Saying You’re Fine, Mel Robins says that when you keep your ideas in your head “you are working behind enemy lines.” She suggests a wonderful tool called a brain dump. You simply write down everything, I mean everything, you need or want to get done from finishing your e-book to buying a new comforter for your bed. Once it’s down on paper your mind is freed up to think more clearly and choose which actions make the most sense to work on first.
One big critea to keep in mind when prioritizing your goals is to always work on the activities that will actually produce the most income first. It may be nice to rework the format of your newsletter, but will that draw more money in your door today or this week? You would be better served on focusing on new products or perfecting your sales close.
Finally, even if you do prioritize what needs to be done, you may not have time to finish everything you want to in the next three months. You need to be realistic. It is better to feel great about having accomplished a few important tasks than to feel crummy about not having everything checked off your list by December 31st. I suggest picking no more than 3 big goals for the next quarter. You can then prioritize your remaining goals and shift them forward to your list for next year.
With cooler weather and darker days ahead it is the perfect time to put your head down and get to work. When you set your goals and your priorities you will feel more relieved and energized to get the job done. You can then reward yourself with a romp in the leaves and some warm apple pie.
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