We are coming up in the summer months of this year, and many business owners tend to go into vacation mode while the kids are out of school. I suggest not falling into that trap but taking advantage of the competition instead, resting on their laurels. This could be your opportunity to run laps around them and end the year strong.
So now I want to invite you to review what you’ve done so far this year, what has worked, what hasn’t, and what you can do to make the second half even better than the first. I suggest scheduling 1-2 hours on your calendar to run through these three steps I am about to lay out.
1. Improve Your Mindset
The first thing to do during this 1-2 hours is look back at everything you’ve done thus far in the year. Ask yourself what you could improve on and make a list. Then, decide on which one of those things you want to focus on improving for the next quarter. Then, dedicate the next three months to working on it—learn everything you can and practice to improve.
For example, your ONE thing could be lead generation. So, during the next three months, you want to read books and blogs, listen to podcasts, attend workshops online or in person, absorb as much information as possible about improving lead generation, and then put what you learn into practice. Do this for a few months, and you will be astonished at the amazing results.
2. Create a Success Schedule
This is one of the most important aspects of measuring and improving your business results, and I have written about and spoken about it at length. I highly suggest you check out my blog post and podcast on setting a success schedule for yourself.
It cannot be stressed enough how important this step is. It may actually require an hour all on its own because it will pay dividends for years to come.
3. Set Up a Success System
Remember that success leaves clues; we can use these clues to build repeatable systems for ongoing success. One such system I teach all my clients is the Baseline Strategy.
To create a Baseline Strategy, write down what you earned last month. Then, write out all of the things that you did that month that produced that result. It could be anything from 25 sales calls to 6 speaking engagements to passive revenue from online programs. This is your current baseline.
Then, ask yourself what one thing you can add to your baseline to achieve a better result. For example, you might consider running a monthly webinar, increasing your speaking engagements, or even creating a new product or service.
Then again, absorb as much information as possible to learn and implement this new thing into your business. At the end of the next month, do the baseline check-in again and see where you are before adding a new strategy.
Success is all about knowing where you are, having a keen insight into yourself, your business, and your staff, and correctly maneuvering to the next level of growth.
