Now’s the time!
Time for what you ask? Time to change things up.
Oh no, Beth, not you too. PLEASE… not another message about goal setting for the new year!
Nope. You won’t hear that from me. Why? Because I’ve never been a formal goal-setting person. You won’t hear me asking you for numbers like how many speaking engagements you’re planning, or how many people you followed up with after your talk. I do admire people who focus on those metrics. That’s just never been MY approach. Everyone has to have their own process.
So, what do I do instead of sitting down and creating a 2022 to-do list? I reflect, evaluate, and plan accordingly.
Reflect: When I think about reflecting, Winnie the Pooh always comes to mind. He sits and tries so hard to think, think, think! For me, as the year slowly comes to an end, thoughts and ideas start bubbling around my mind. I start making notes, update them as they change and evolve, until I’m ready to sit down and start writing. What do I reflect upon? Things like:
- Are there better ways for me to help speakers?
- Are the services I’m offering what speakers need to grow?
- Do my services need tweaking or full-on revamping?
- Is there a new product/service I’m ready to start offering?
When I put my speaker hat on, I reflect on a different set of questions:
- Am I delivering my signature talk to the right audiences?
- Is my message still valid?
- Does my message or my signature talk need tweaking and/or updating?
You get the gist. I think, ponder, and explore… aka reflect… about how both I, and At the Podium, can continue to provide speakers like you with products and services that will help you feel inspired and confident when you step on stage—regardless of what time of year it is!
Evaluate: Once I’ve come up with a list of possibilities (maybe even an idea or two I’ve previously put aside because I wasn’t ready yet) I start looking elsewhere. I research what others are doing. I consider the feedback I’ve gotten from valued clients and partners too. Taking it all in helps me further narrow my list of possibilities until it’s down to a few items that fit with both me and my style.
Plan: I’m a “task” person by nature, so once I’ve decided which ideas to focus on, the planning part is easier for me. I start running different scenarios for executing my objectives, sometimes bouncing them off trusted partners, until I’m ready to open up a word doc and officially break my objectives down into positive steps. Another planning step that’s very important for me is to actually let a little time go by and then take another look at my plans to see if they still feel right before I dive into action.
Why am I sharing all this with you? Because there’s so much pressure at this time of year to make decisions about what you’re going to do next year. Great for some, but we all have to find our own way.
What’s important is having a process that allows us to grow and evolve as business professionals, which also allows us to continually share new information with our audiences. So, instead of getting caught up in the pressure of what’s going to be “new” in 2022, spend some time getting to know and understand your own personal and unique process.
Now that I’ve shared my process with you, I’d love to hear about yours and how it’s helping you share your brilliance and expertise!
‘Til we speak again… I wish you a safe and healthy New Year!
The Gift of YOU!
