Have you put off annual planning for 2021? As 2020 has shown us, it can be challenging to plan for the future amidst the uncertainty of today. Yet, your business needs strategic direction to reach your goals and become more profitable this coming year. If you are struggling to see the big picture, to grasp your annual goals when you are not sure what the next six months will hold, read on! You can choose your future, even in a year like 2021, by staying firm on your goals but flexible with your methods.

Start by asking yourself what success looks like three years from now?

Where do you want your business to be in 2024? Start the 2021 goal setting process by dreaming about the future. Define some measurable outcomes that you’d like to see three years down the line. Create goals that focus on:

• Revenue
• Profit
• Total customers
• New customers
• Productivity
• What else do you want to see in 2024?

Once you’ve defined your three-year goals, what needs to be accomplished or achieved to make them happen? Define your three-year priorities. Some examples of these priorities could include:

• Making sure your marketing is running smoothly and consistently.
• Diversifying your customer base.
• What other tasks do you need to accomplish to reach your three-year goals?

Now, let’s decide what success will look like by 12/31/21.

Based on your three-year goals, what do you need to accomplish this year to be on track? Once again, define some measurable outcomes as one-year goals that will help you track success. Develop goals around:

• Revenue
• Profit
• Total customers
• New customers
• Productivity
• What else do you want to see in 2021?

Next, identify what needs to be accomplished or achieved to make the one-year goals happen by creating some one-year priorities. These priorities will be more specific than your three-year priorities. A few examples are:

• Consistent and structured training monthly
• Identify and implement new process improvement per quarter.
• Implement focused marketing to achieve $X million in revenue.
• What other tasks do you need to accomplish to reach your three-year goals?

Lastly, create some goals for the first quarter.

Now that you have identified your annual goals, it’s time to focus on what needs to be achieved in the first quarter to make your annual objective. Break your one-year goals down by what you must accomplish each quarter to stay on track. What are the priorities to accomplish to ensure you hit your first quarter measurable outcomes?

After identifying your goals, make them actionable!

Decide WHO is going to do WHAT by WHEN to ensure the quarterly priorities get accomplished.

Need help or clarity when developing your annual goals? Contact me for a complimentary strategy session and receive a free copy of my best-selling book “Pulling Profits Out of a Hat.” Let’s make 2021 an amazing year!