814: Steal My Exact Annual Planning Process
1Digest
This podcast episode delves into the power of annual planning for entrepreneurs, offering practical strategies to achieve success. Host Jenna Goodger emphasizes the importance of consistency over constant change, encouraging listeners to focus on minor tweaks and adjustments rather than overhauling their entire business every year. She shares her passion for annual planning, highlighting the importance of reviewing past data, setting clear goals, and creating a plan that aligns with personal values and priorities. Jenna introduces John Maxwell's calendar auditing process, which involves evaluating how you spend your time to ensure it aligns with your goals, values, and priorities. She emphasizes the importance of identifying productive activities, eliminating time-wasting tasks, and making space for rest and renewal. Jenna stresses the importance of analyzing results, both quantitative and qualitative, to identify what worked, what didn't work, and what felt good. She encourages listeners to double down on what is already working and avoid wasting time and resources on things that didn't yield desired results. To avoid overwhelm and maintain focus, Jenna recommends planning one quarter at a time, identifying one big focus per quarter and breaking down the annual plan into smaller, more manageable chunks.
Outlines
Annual Planning for Entrepreneurs: Consistency, Calendar Audits, and Doubling Down on What Works
This episode explores the importance of annual planning for entrepreneurs, emphasizing consistency over constant change, calendar auditing for productivity, and focusing on what works to achieve success. The episode covers strategies for reviewing past data, setting goals, creating a plan that aligns with personal values and priorities, identifying time-wasting activities, analyzing results, and planning one quarter at a time.
Keywords
Annual Planning
The process of setting goals and creating a strategic plan for the upcoming year, typically involving reviewing past performance, identifying key areas of focus, and outlining specific actions to achieve desired outcomes.
Calendar Audit
A process of reviewing your calendar to identify time-wasting activities, unproductive commitments, and areas where you can make space for priorities, rest, and renewal.
Consistency
The practice of maintaining a steady and predictable approach to business operations, focusing on minor tweaks and adjustments rather than constant overhauls.
Subtraction
The strategy of removing unnecessary tasks, commitments, and activities from your schedule to create space for priorities, rest, and renewal.
Pareto's Principle
The 80/20 rule, which suggests that 80% of your results typically come from 20% of your efforts. This principle encourages entrepreneurs to focus on the most impactful activities and avoid spreading themselves too thin.
Quarter-by-Quarter Planning
A method of breaking down annual plans into smaller, more manageable chunks, focusing on one big goal or initiative per quarter. This approach helps to avoid overwhelm and maintain focus throughout the year.
Q&A
What are some key strategies for annual planning that can help entrepreneurs achieve success?
Key strategies include reviewing past data, setting clear goals, creating a plan that aligns with personal values and priorities, auditing your calendar to identify time-wasting activities and make space for priorities, analyzing results to identify what worked and what didn't, and planning one quarter at a time to avoid overwhelm.
How can entrepreneurs balance the need for change with the importance of consistency in their businesses?
Focus on making minor tweaks and adjustments rather than overhauling your entire business every year. Identify areas where you can double down on what's already working and avoid wasting time and resources on things that didn't yield desired results.
What is the purpose of a calendar audit and how can it benefit entrepreneurs?
A calendar audit helps you identify time-wasting activities, unproductive commitments, and areas where you can make space for priorities, rest, and renewal. It can help you create more awareness and intentionality around how you allocate your time and energy, leading to increased productivity and a better work-life balance.
Show Notes
If you’re anything like me, the end of the year is a time when excitement starts to bubble up—thinking about the fresh opportunities and all the things you want to achieve in the coming year. But before you get lost in a sea of ideas, let’s talk about how to create a rock-solid plan that actually works.
If you’re asking questions like: Should I plan annually or by quarter? What do I do about the things that aren't working – double down, or pivot? And HOW do I audit the year to know exactly what is driving results? Then let's discuss...
This episode will be the encouragement to lay the foundation well for your year and it will totally change the way you annual plan for the better.
So, if you’re ready to set yourself up for a year of growth and balance, grab your notebook because this episode is going to give you the blueprint to do just that. Let’s dive in!
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