It may seem a little early but it is very difficult to set your business agenda for next year on the last day of this year. Setting your agenda is going to take some time; instant decisions won’t work in this process.

A good place to start is by making a list of all the goals or good things that you have achieved so far this year. These successes will give you a foundation upon which to build.

The next list is made up of all the mistakes or regrets you want to avoid in the future. This is the proverbial “learn from your mistakes list.” This list will have no further use in the planning process.

Your last list should be a list of the 5 things you want to accomplish by the end of 2018. There are many different types of goals that can be considered and the most common one is to increase the bottom line. Please note, I did not say to increase your business volume nor did I mention expansion. I stressed a bottom line increase. Other goals may include adding another service or product line or increase your profit margin. Whatever your goals are, make sure you end up with your five most important goals.

Once identified, prioritize these five goals. Starting with your number one goal, develop an action plan to reach that goal. Since this is a year-end goal, break down the action steps into monthly actions with a definite goal for each month.  This process will also help you determine the feasibility of succeeding in this goal.

I recommend that you also follow the above procedure with your number 2 selection.  This is your backup plan to go to in case the first runs into a stumbling block.

In determining your year-end goal make sure that it is achievable and that you have both the  time and funds to bring it to a reality.

Your DREAMS are only DREAMS until you write them down…then they are goals.