Planning for 2009

The third quarter will soon be ending and before we know it a new year will be knocking on the door. I typically spend a large portion of the fouth quarter planning for the coming year. I do this for several reasons:

1. Planning a a very effective process to idneitfy goals and the means for attaining those goals.
2. Spending 3 or so months on the process allows me to carefully think about the various issues without being rushed.
3. I can begin implementing my plan before the new year. For example, if I want leads to increase in January, I cannot wait until January to start placing new ads.

All of this planning might seem like a waste of time. You might take the Nike approach, and "just do it". But plowing ahead without a plan can waste a lot more time than it takes to formulate a direction to travel.

Consider a cross country car trip. I doubt you'd just hop in the car and take off. You'd probably look at a map and determine the best route to take. That process might only take 15 minutes, but it could save you hours on the road. The same is true in our business.

Dan Miller, author of 48 Days to the Job You Love, has a nice planning tool on his web site. You should check it out.