Before you know it, the whirl of holiday shopping, gingerbread lattes and ugly Christmas sweaters will lead into the New Year’s countdown and the ball dropping.
I’m wishing you warm snuggles by the fire, golden champagne and the best kiss of your life at midnight. What a way to bring in the New Year, amiright?
And, then comes the first day of the New Year.
The air is crisper and everybody has an extra pep in their step, because you get a clean slate. Time for goal setting, list making, new planners.
You tell yourself that it’s going to be different this year. You’re not going to sleepwalk through the year, wondering what the heck happened when December creeps up on you.
If you really want to feel proud of what you accomplished when you sit down with your chai tea latte to review 2016, you’ve got to start now with a solid plan.
It’s needs to be doable but exciting in that way that you don’t know if it’s actually possible because you’re pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.
The difference between going through the motions and getting things done is intention. You can do so much if you start with a clear intention.
These five questions will help you figure out what changes you should make in the next year and what you should focus on.
1. If you only reach ONE big goal by the end of 2016, what would you want it to be?
This gives you a clear indication of how you should spend your time. Huge to-do lists never get accomplished. Instead, figure out what you really want and focus on it. Make sure you put one task that will get you closer to that goal on every daily to-do list and by the end of the year, you’ll be able to cross that goal off your bucket list.
2. What tasks do you want to stop doing by the end of 2016?
To grow your business, you’ve got to delegate. Hiring team members will not only increase your happiness (because you get to focus your work time on stuff you love) but it’ll help you get more done and make more money.
You may not be able to hire an entire team by the end of next year, but if you really want it, you could hire at least one person. Would you want that person to clean your house? Do all of your accounting? Reply to your emails and schedule social media updates?
3. What would you change about how you spent your time in 2015?
The greatest asset you have as an entrepreneur is time. We all get the same amount—24 hours. And, we can all fall into the rabbit hole of making poor choices when it comes to how we spend our time.
Look back on this past year. If you could do it all over again, what would you change?
If I got a do over, I’d start each day by writing. I know that I do my best writing in the morning, but this year, most days I didn’t write until the afternoon. I should’ve blocked out at least an hour at the beginning of the every day and that’s how I’m starting 2016. I guarantee it’ll help me be more prolific and improve my writing.
4. What would you like to invest in next year? How will it help your business?
We’ve all heard the saying that you’ve got to spend money to make money.
Starting an online business is usually inexpensive, but if you want to grow, you’ve got to invest in yourself and your business. Getting your website professionally designed makes a difference. Investing in the best materials for your products makes a difference. Finally buying that new camera makes a difference.
When you invest in your business, you take it more seriously and so do your customers. You can increase your prices and spend less time on marketing.
5. What’s the dream?
You’ve got to know what you’re really working towards if you want to build your business intentionally. Otherwise, you could wind up creating something that you resent or dislike.
Each business decision you make needs to come from a place of intention. That’s how you build the dream. So, what’s your dream?
What does your dream day entail? What’s your dream vacation, workspace, team? How much money do you want to make?
You might not achieve the dream by the end of next year, but you can take lots of steps in that direction.
I hope these five questions help you jumpstart intentional planning for 2016.
And, here’s where you can download your free worksheet to get started.
I’d love to know the answer to one of these questions. You pick the question and leave your answer in the comments below. Let’s cheer each other on!
My goal for 2016 is to focus on self care. This year I was so hyper focused on my goals and my business that I really let my health and my well being slip. A lot. Two summers ago (during Connecting the Gaps) I had the healthiest habits of my life, but for some reason when I get into a project I stop exercising, I stop eating well, I stop taking time to refill my tank.
This year my intention is to prioritize self care *first* and trust that even when I take the time to cook a meal from scratch, pull out my yoga mat, go for a micro-adventure, and write in my journal every day I will manage to do everything else in the time that remains.
Sarah, I love this! I felt the same exact way, so this fall I put self-care on top of my priorities and it made a world of difference. The biggest difference I think was in my mentality about everything – I believed I was able to handle it all rather than feeling overwhelmed as a result. Good luck! I really hope you find that when you focus on you it makes the rest of your work easier!
I really need to work on this myself! Thanks for bringing this up, Sarah!
The self-care… oh yes. I’m dreadful about it.
Oh my gosh – me, too! Self-care has really been a struggle while trying to get my business going this year. You really touched on an issue for many of us, Sarah. I get sucked into the “thrill of the chase” with my business and don’t take time for myself.
A lot of entrepreneurs (myself included) tend to neglect ourselves to get it all done. We push and push and push until our bodies give up or we get really sick and have to take a break.
I’ve spent a lot of time this year on self care. It’s meant responding to less emails, taking my time responding to comments (like these which I LOVE), and saying no to opportunities that I’d otherwise like to participate in. But, I only ran myself into the ground once this year which is a HUGE difference.
You’ll still find time to do the important stuff. You might have to say no to more things and you might have to take longer to do other things, but you’ll get it done. I have no doubts!
Thanks for sharing, Sarah!
You’ve hit the nail on the head with these questions. I love the amount of time I spend creating. I want to bring back the art in my own fiber art and am planning a blog challenge for 2016 that is more playful and includes a lot of mixed media fiber art using antique and found objects.
As a business goal, I’d like to bring that marriage of fiber art and stitchery craft into my pattern design work. Customers have requested craft patterns that are more in the housewares range rather than toys so I’m working on answering their desires.
When I teach and someone’s eyes get really big because they realize their craft is also artistic and it came from inside them, there’s a beautiful unfolding. Somehow I’d like my sewing and stitchery patterns to offer that kind of experience at home.
That’s a wonderful idea, Allison! Yes, there’s nothing more thrilling than the dawning awareness of one’s own talent and artistic expression. Good luck with your goal!
That’s really awesome, Allison! Thank you so much for sharing.
It’s obvious how much you enjoy the creativity in your work. And, it’s always good to pay attention to what your customers are asking for and try to give it to them. That’s how I get a lot my ideas for blog post topics and online courses.
My one big goal that I’d like to complete by the end of 2016 is to teach a course on a site like Creativebug or Atly. I’m not sure what exactly I’d like to teach at this point, but it’s on my list of things that I’d like to accomplish, and really it’s the biggest goal out of all that I’ve written down so far. 🙂
Thanks for posting this, April! I’m looking forward to reflecting on the rest of these questions and writing down my thoughts. Question #3 is one that I would have not considered.
OOoooooooohhhhhhh totally want to see you on CreativeBug! 😀
I hope, Amanda Sue! 🙂 Thanks for encouraging me.
Question #3 was one I thought was intriguing, too. Definitely one to think about. Good luck with your goal, Amanda!
You could definitely teach on one of those sites! I can see it now.
I love question three. We can’t change how we used our time in the past but we can figure out how to make the best use of it moving forward.
Changes in 2016 for me are an overflow of what I’ve discovered this fall, which was a realignment of my priorities and focusing my actions on those priorities. I am going to focus in 2016 though on the meat of things like producing content, producing sellable goods, and strengthening certain daily habits. I need to let administrative stuff and other things I can delegate go or take a backseat, and that’s going to be hard.
This is such a good insight, Kathleen. Keeping focused on my priorities could really use some realignment in 2016! It’s so easy to get distracted by the easy stuff. Good luck on your goal!
I love your focus, Kathleen! Most entrepreneurs struggle with balancing administrative tasks and all the other stuff (which is usually the most important stuff). Hiring a virtual assistant has freed up a lot of the time I spent on administrative tasks. It was such a good move for me and I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to spend less time on those types of tasks.
My one big goal for next year is to develop my Instagram account and gain 1,000 followers. 🙂 I love taking pictures, but I only have four posts so far! Ha! As always, thank you for the encouragement, April!
That sounds like a very do-able goal, Heather! Gotta start somewhere. 🙂 I still struggle with being consistent on Instagram. Good luck with your goal!
I think (at this moment anyway lol) that I’ll always want to be teaching/mentoring. And I keep coming back to VA work.
But my big dream is to make money off of something creative. So I’d like to spend 2016 exploring that, and seeing where I take it.
Making money doing something creative sounds exciting, Amanda Sue. Can’t wait to see what that is! Good luck!
Oh…how fun! I can’t wait to see everything you do in the next year. I’m expecting big things from you! 🙂
You got me with the first question. I tend to fall in the circle of having too many goals and then accomplish nothing. I’m working now on narrowing down to the that ONE goal I want to achieve in 2016.
I do this too, Linh. I start a bunch of projects and then run out of energy to finish! One thing at a time – but which one, right? 🙂 Good luck!
YES! It makes a big difference when you narrow your focus. I hope that helps you get more accomplished.
I need to create more art in 2016 and I’d like to do at least $250 in sales of that art to pay the cost of my website. I accomplished my goal for this year and that was to get my work in art galleries. I have about 10 pieces in galleries right now :). Now it just needs to start selling!
That is huge to get your art into galleries! Congratulations, Roxanne! Sales are the next step, naturally. Good luck!
Thank you for this, April!!
I’m starting to think about what I want and need from my work for next year. The big thing I need to work on is getting my backlog of designs written up and published. I would like to learn how to do an actual product launch! I just don’t understand how to effectively plan that and run it across my media. And I’d like to get more effective on Pinterest and Instagram.
I agree with some of the other comments on better self care. So critically important!
Oooh, I’d love to get better on Pinterest and Instagram, too. Fitting social media into might tight schedule is very tricky – and I’m not consistent. Good luck on your goals, Patty!
You’re so welcome, Patty! We’ll work on launching together. I’ll help you through it.
I’m so excited to work with you this upcoming year. 🙂
Planning-time!!!
My biggest goal for this year is about completing the foundation for my biz to grow – including reaching some slightly scary revenue goals 😉
xo
K
Planning! Yes, I really need to do this, too. I’m lucky to have a couple accountability partners who are spending most of December planning together with me. Growing is scary, I know! Good luck with your goal, Kris!
My biggest goal to accomplish by the end of 2016 is to be designing full-time in my jewelry business. To do this, I know I need to be sharply focus on revenue producing activities + self- care. I tend to focus on workshops and getting distracted with other things. I am learning to really ask myself why I am doing an activity and if it doesn’t support or get my closer to earning an income, then the activity is placed on the back burner.
Self-care is always big! I think as creative people, we easily lose track of taking care of our self due to shiny object syndrome! 😉 Personally, I want to eat healthier. More home cooked meals are on the agenda with less junk food consumed!!
Workshops are TOTALLY distracting! And so much fun, too! 🙂 Good luck with your goal, Trish!
The first step is knowing that you need to focus. The second step is sticking with it. I’ve got lots of faith in you, Trish! I’m super excited to continue working with you in 2016. We’re going to have a good time.
Yes to self care! I highly recommend Mayi’s cookbook for delicious and healthy meals. I use her recipes all of the time.
My biggest goal that I LOVE to accomplish in 2016 would be to start bringing in money. I haven’t quite mastered the income stream yet. I have a couple projects I’m working on to attract more customers.
Thanks for the worksheet, April!
You’re so welcome! I love that you’re focusing on making money this next year and that you’re sharing it proudly. 🙂
Hi April, those are some great questions. I’ve been blogging on my current blog for close to 3 years and have not had a focus. My one big goal for 2016 is to find one focus for the year and achieve it. Rather than blogging randomly without purpose I’d like to set myself the goal of publishing 5 ebooks on embroidery. If I could achieve that on top of my full time job and two kids, friends, etc etc that would be amazing. Thank you for the thought provoking questions and the worksheet April!
Oh…I love it. Thank you for sharing. I’m a huge fan of embroidery so I’ll definitely be on the lookout for your ebooks. 🙂
My big goal is to make Happy Print Club a sustainable full-blown business. It really helps to have my big picture goal in front of me all the time – because it means every thing I do should be working towards that goal! It’s the most effective way to go, especially when I have limited time! Thanks for your tips on intentional planning! Wishing you a lovely 2016!
Yes…I totally agree that having your big goal in front of you helps a ton. It keeps you focused. Such a great goal, Linda!
I have SO many goals for 2016! But my top goals are to earn more than $250,000 through my business and sell out my first live retreat, Life Editor Weekend. Of course, each of those goals can be broken out into dozens of mini tasks. So each day I need to focus on the little baby steps I can take to get closer to those big goals. Love the worksheet, April! 🙂
LOVE these goals, Sage! That’s so very cool that you’re hosting your first live retreat. I bet you’re so excited. I wish all the best with it and have no doubt that you’ll sell out. 🙂