What do you want your year ahead to look like?

A new year is fast approaching and like many of us, we’re all in planning mode just wondering how it’s going to be!

While we understand the importance of goal setting and planning spending a great deal of time and money coming up with the strategic plan, it still remains something that is reviewed just once a year or worse – a glossy document that sits on the shelf!

“If you don’t know where you are going, you are certain to end up somewhere else.” – Yogi Berra

Motivating yourself to set goals and plan ahead, is to think more closely about the benefits this activity may bring you. There are many benefits that go along with goal setting and strategic planning. 

Goal setting can help bring your business:

A clearer focus

Having clearly set out goals with my intentions and desires

Effective use of time

Time is a resource and by goal setting and doing some strategic planning it can become apparent that if you want to improve your time management, you need to stop doing what doesn’t need to be done or isn’t working

Peace of mind

Too often a lot of us have too many tabs open as the saying goes. By mind dumping and writing down goals it helps me to take all those ideas and plans, prioritise and apply them with perspective and commitment 

Clarity on decision making

Figuring out what has been working, what hasn’t been working, and is this getting me closer to my goals

Easier measurement of what you do

By setting goals especially SMART goals that are Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant and Time-Bound goals I can measure how effective I am during the year and if I’m moving toward my goals

Your business’ strategic plan will become your company’s guide or blueprint.It will serve to remind you of your company’s core values and mission. It will help to redirect your energy when faced with tough decisions. Here are some key benefits to strategic planning:

Direction

One of the challenges faced by many is the lack of knowing how to proceed. During the planning process, you determine what tasks need to be completed. The planning process provides direction for you, your team and your business.

Accountability

During the planning process, activities should be assigned to you or the team, which creates a sense of responsibility. You hold the responsibility of those tasks and can be held accountable by making them part of your One Page Strategic Plan. Having a coach or other team members together with a Business One Page Strategic Plan helps keep everyone on track and in control of where you are headed. When activities are not completed it places a higher priority on fulfilling the requirements of this One Page Strategic Plan and achieving objectives. 

Proactiveness 

A strategic plan allows your business to foresee its future and to prepare accordingly. Through strategic planning, you can anticipate certain unfavourable scenarios before they happen and take necessary precautions to avoid them. With a strong strategic plan, you can be proactive rather than merely reacting to situations as they arise. Being proactive allows your business to keep up with the ever-changing trends in the market and always stay one step ahead of the competition.   

Increases Efficiency

A strategic plan provides you a roadmap to align your business activities to achieve set goals. It guides discussions and decision-making in determining what requirements are needed to accomplish set objectives helping increase operational efficiency.

it is better to work smarter than harder. A well-thought-out strategic plan with objectives and goals will help you to work more efficiently rather than harder. Additionally, a strategic plan is a philosophy to share with those around you, enabling everyone to work together towards achieving your business goals.

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