Guided Goals & Planning – 02 – Making Choices

HAVING ASSESSED MY BUSINESS AND EXAMINED WHAT I FOUND, it's time to make some CHOICES about what comes next.

Since I'm confident in the basic PLAN but not its EXECUTION, my very first task is to rethink HOW to get through the steps of my plan.

The “pain” in my business this year has been due to internet and power outage issues, so the focus of my adjustment has to be navigating those things.

My 2021 goals are the same as those I set in 2020:

– 10% Overall Business Growth
– 50% List Growth
– 3 Course Launches
– 9 Product Launches
– 2 Promotions/Week
– 3 Bonus Offers/Month

– Innovate in the Market
– 70% Customer Retention

– Finish Site Moves

As for solutions to my internet and power outage issues, here are my plans:

#1: Substitute Video Trainings for Webinars
There's no point in thinking I can offer the live webinars I've held in the past while our internet connection is so spotty. The most viable alternative is to switch to videos trainings.

Innovation Idea: How can I bring the interaction and live feel to a video training?

#2: Use Early Mornings & Late Evenings for Uploading/Downloading
The internet is pretty traffic bare after 11 PM and before 5 AM, so making use of those hours on a regular basis to do my big file uploads/downloads will help a lot.

Plan for this!

I can do SOME daily uploads/downloads before 8 AM Monday-Friday, and I can also do SOME daily uploads/downloads before 7 AM on the weekends.

I'll need to shift my workflow to ensure I am blocking time JUST for uploading/downloading during off-traffic hours on the internet.

Note: Given mornings are my high-production times, I'll need to be careful with the balance of getting a lot done with the grind of uploading/downloading.

Maybe try uploading/downloading on one computer while working on anther, if that's not too distracting.

#3: Pad Timelines by an Extra 20%
All of the timeframes I'm used to when it comes to online activity need to be set aside for now, and I need to expect EVERYTHING to take longer. Adding a 20% pad to my timeline should allow for this.

I also need to prepare for timeouts during basic tasks like working in AWeber, in aMember, on Facebook, and in Thrive Architect.

Don't forget to account for high-traffic times of the year when out-of-towners will be slowing down our internet tower with their in-car navigation systems, cell phones, and other connected devices! (October – End of Ski Season & Spring)

#4: Eliminate On-the-Fly Activities
I have GOT to overcome my habit of squeezing launch promos in when they hit my desk with less than 7-days advance notice regardless of their value and/or potential.

It's marketing FOMO, and it just doesn't work at this point.

I need to shift my focus and my prioritization to vendors who launch on a specified schedule and/or who are good about early notice.

#5: Create Extra Upload/Download Time During Trips to Town
I need to make a point of taking my laptop when we go to town for other things, so I can run uploads/downloads in the background of whatever we're doing.

Ideal content candidates for this include all of my ongoing, weekly work for DADC Social and DADC Templates as well as Profit Tracks.

Remember as I plan my week to shift uploading THOSE items from mornings to travel days.

Also, look ahead when planning the uploading of delivery packs for courses and products: Do we have an in-town appointment that I can piggyback on?

YOUR HOMEWORK:

Based on the assessment you completed, list your business goals for 2021.

Then, using my example above, brainstorm how you plan to meet those goals taking into account any choices you have to make to overcome challenges you face.

Don't worry if you aren't sure about how to tackle all of your plans: We're going to do a test run using the end of THIS year to see how things go, so we can make MORE adjustments for 2021!

UP NEXT:
Creating a 2020 End-of-Year Plan for Profit & 2021 Success