I bet you have a clear sense of your goals over the next 1-3 years?

Whether they’re to grow your market through the number of client contracts and policies, increase your customer leads, put a new service into the marketplace, acquire a new property within your business, or add new team members….we typically have a sense of what we want to accomplish this year or over the next few years.

Knowing where we want to get to is key for effective goal setting.

But, how do we ensure we’re making regular progress so we don’t get half way through the year and realize how much time has slipped by - slowing growth?

Are you caught in a never-ending cycle of day-to-day tasks, feeling like you're always putting out fires, and never making the progress you dream of in your business? You're not alone.

Many entrepreneurs and professionals find themselves trapped in the whirlwind of immediate demands, leaving little room for strategic growth. But fear not; there is a solution, and it's called future-oriented work.

In this blog post, we'll delve into the significance of focusing on future-oriented tasks and how it can transform your business.

What goal would you LOVE to hit for the remainder of the year?

We have 10-11 weeks before the end of December….is there a meaningful target you would like to hit in that time frame OR….get pretty close?

If so, how would hitting that goal impact your business?

What difference would it make to YOU?

How would it make next year different?

Waking up each morning, one of the first things so many of us do is check our emails and messages.

What is the day shaping up to be?

What did I miss?

What am I going to be faced with when I get to work?

We look at our calendar and see the meetings, administration and other commitments that are required to run our business.

We have aspirations for greater sustainability and perhaps growth, but how does one achieve this amidst the running of the business?

…when so much of our energy and time is already wrapped up in what we do every day?

Do you struggle with decision-making when it comes to growing your business?

Are you holding back from making a decision in your business right now?

The price of NOT making a decision can be time, energy drain, taking up mental space and…missed opportunities.

Is this something you struggle with, or have struggled with?

If so, here are some questions that could help…

One of the common topics that I notice come up from Founders and Owners is how to manage the multiple priorities they have.

There are so many hats we wear that we often have many similarly prioritized initiatives going on at the same time: from managing a newer member of your team, to pricing your services for next year to planning marketing initiatives. The list can be endless.

And they’re all important.

Sometimes, it feels impossible to chose what to focus on next because it IS nearly impossible. They all have to be done!

While everyone’s situation can be somewhat unique, what I do know is this: when we focus on the many, progress is slow; when we focus on the few, we speed up.

How often do you celebrate your progress and accomplishments?

I know you have all of them - I see you doing all the things in your business and in leadership.

From getting that new role, hiring a new manager, adding a new admin person, capturing a process you’ve been meaning to, taking more personal time, booking that vacation…..

From small to large these are no easy feats and I invite you to celebrate them.

When I was younger I loved to dance. (Well I still do, but I actually took lessons and performed in my youth). What I admired about professional dancers was their athleticism, their grace and their superb amounts of skill. The way they could capture an audience and tell a story through movement.

What I learned was in order to get to be so skilled and master their craft, they practiced all the time and often practiced the basics. Like a musician mastering and warming up with scales. It’s the foundational steps and method that help them to hone their craft. It’s focussing on the foundations of their craft that built the muscle memory and capacity that they have today. The ballet dancers always came back to their pliés.

When I hear and speak to business owners and founders today who want to grow their companies, some of them have all sorts of plans and initiatives. I always love hearing about their plans and vision. It’s inspiring. Until I hear about their method…

As we enter into the festive season and we begin to think about winding down for the year, I wanted to ask you: Do you perform an end of year review?

This is an opportunity to take stock, reflect and take a look at the bigger picture.

It’s been another tumultuous year and depending on where you live, perhaps a return to more things that are ‘normal’ for you.

Whether this is a practice you do each year or if you’re new to it, I wanted to share my process for my business review…

Oh the challenge of trying to ‘get it all done’. There’s so much isn’t there? Sometimes it feels like there’s too much!

And, you’re only one person - you’re the leader, the business owner, responsible for it all. How can one person get ‘it all done’?

I’m often asked what productivity tips I would recommend for busy business owners. I have several, and often, it depends on the specific circumstances of the person I’m speaking with which ideas or strategies I might share.

There are also underlying elements that may masquerade as ‘productivity’ issues, but lead to deeper reasons why we aren’t moving forward….but that’s not for this post.

Sometimes, what we need are just some good pointers on different ways to work and get inspired, so this is what this post is designed to support you with.

I’ll share one tip here with you, and I have 9 others that I will send to you if you find yourself resonating with this challenge of wearing soooo many hats in your business and not knowing where you’ll find the time.