A philosophy that guides my business planning is that my business supports my lifestyle.

How can your business support your lifestyle? Before I sit down to plan my business each year, my husband and I plan out what we want to do, be and have for that year.  Once I have our trips and travel all mapped out, I then plan my business.

You can use this same process to plan your life because what I want you to do is to go to then end of 2015, and write down what you did “as if” it already happened.  Start with the end in mind – what you want to have happen.

I want you to write this plan in present tense as if it’s already happened.

• This plan will organize your ideas on one sheet of paper to keep you focused.
• You’ll tap into both sides of your brain to help you achieve results.
• You’ll have a tool to share with business insiders, family, or key employees, and to look at daily and make sure you are on task.

Let’s look at each area in a bit more detail before we start creating your ideal business or life plan. The planning steps below will make it easy to fill out the one page plan at the end.

Whole-Brain Planning

You’re going to create your ideal business or life plan for 2015 and then plan backwards to strategize how to get it done.

Knowing what your intention is and planning from the results you want to achieve is key.

I want you to tap into both sides of your brain to create this plan. The left hemisphere of your brain is known as the analytical part of your brain. It’s the language center and it’s where your ego resides.  Neuroscientists call this part of your brain the storyteller, narrator or interpreter.

The right brain is where your creativity lives. This is the big picture and emotional side of your brain. This is where you visualize what your company or life can become – and you dream about the possibilities. You want to create work that you do each day out of the pure joy of doing it.

How to Start Planning:

Sit in a quiet place where you can spend time alone. Think about what you want to create in your business and the opportunities you have in front of you with your ideal business future. This is where we bring in your right brain. This part of your brain is where creativity, big picture thinking, and imagination live.

How much money do you want to make in your business this year? Put down the first $$ amount that comes into your mind. Be open to this and don’t get into ‘how’ you will do it. Allow yourself to go big and dream. Remember this is your ideal business plan this year.

What three feelings will you have when you accomplish your life or business plan?

• Feel the feelings you’ll have when you achieve your plan.
• What do you yell out loud in delight when you have done it – what are your words?
• You want to harness those feelings and emotions and bring them into your life right now.

Cut out the middleman and stop waiting – feel now what you will feel when you get the things you want.

Write down three feelings you’ll have when you make the money you wanted to make this year.

• See yourself in your mind’s eye having achieved this plan.
• Spend at least 20 seconds experiencing those three feelings as often as you can.

What are your values for your business and life?

What are your three to four business values? These are the values you use to run your business. These are guidelines for how you make decisions, how you engage with your customers, and your employees. This is what creates the culture of your business.

This is where you get to decide what type of person you’d hire or work with as a client. You want to think about the type of employee or virtual assistant you want to have representing your business.

Who do you most want to work with? Remember, you’re creating your ideal company.

Your Business Vision

Buckle up. I want you to dream big this year and there are no limits. I want you to visualize what your business looks like a year from now.

So relax, close your eyes. Spend time imagining all that you can create this year. See it as clearly as possible.

What images do you see in your mind’s eye at the end of this year? Write down a short paragraph of the story of your business this year.

Now write down what images you see and how you did this year. You are the narrator of this story. Write it in present tense.

As a PR consultant and an entrepreneur, I always ask my clients, “What headline do you want to read?” “What is the result of the business or life you have created?”

“What did you do?” Always start with the end in mind. This is how you create your life or your business. Always know what your intention is. Then you work backwards to strategize and plan how you will achieve it.

• What do you most want to achieve this year in your business? What is your key intention?
• How much money did your business bring in this year?
• What did you do to grow your business?
• What new products or services did you create?
• What excites you about creating this picture of your business in the future? What lights your fire or your passion?
• How many new people joined your tribe (your list) this year?

What social good did your business contribute to this year?

Did you hire employees, VAs, contractors?

Law of Attraction Meets Business Planning:

Now write down the story of what your business did this year in present tense as if it’s already happened.

We’re calling on the same part of your brain – your right brain – to act as if this has already happened. Your brain can’t distinguish between what you imagine or what you really see. So let’s take advantage of this and have you create the images in your mind and create new neural pathways in your brain to imagine that you really have it already done.  Where the mind goes the body follows.  We want to create a path so that your mind will follow this path this year.

If you expand your thinking and open your mind to possibilities, you will begin to see opportunities to make your vision happen. This is the way it works – the mind looks for evidence for everything you believe.

[Tweet “If you dream it and believe it, you can do it.”]

Write down three goals that are doable this year.

Here are my goals for 2015:

1. Speak from the stage at least three times in 2015.
2. Create a community around Smart Women Make Money and offer it twice in 2015.
3. Help women entrepreneurs find clients and make their business profitable by running two groups of Make Money Now.

Write down three business or life goals for 2015

1.

2.

3.

Break these down into small steps and make a timeframe for the year – plan by quarters.

Next step,  I want you to take the small steps and put them into your calendar. Which one feels the easiest to start? Start there and break it down in terms of time on your schedule. Take each task and give yourself enough time (months and weeks) to get it done.

• Create small rewards for yourself in achieving your monthly goals.
• Relax into your plan and feel the feelings you will feel when you accomplish all of this.
• Now you’re ready. This will give you a touchstone you can look at every day as you create your vision this year

If you would like to take this a step further and get more support for your vision, please let me know. I am happy to help you step out of overwhelm and frustration into taking action and gaining confidence and being well paid to do what you love so that you can make a difference.  For a complimentary Business Breakthrough session, click here.

Here’s to your success!

If you like this, please share it with your friends – spread the word.  Love, Sherold

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