HNY! The new year is finally here, and we wished this one to come along, more than most. We shouldn’t wish our time away, but 2020 was a tough one, right? We all look forward to the promise of new beginnings, a fresh start and a new direction but where do you start when thinking and planning for the year ahead and why is planning your year so important for your business, its growth and your mindset!

It’s important to kickstart your year by getting your business goals and plan for the year done as early as possible, Jan preferably, to maintain some control. If you don’t you’ll get dragged into life and are then at the mercy of its daily events and distractions. You’ll end up fire-fighting your way through the year and lose all sense of direction, your dreams and objectives.

I have created a number of tools and short IGTV videos to show you how I set up and plan for the year ahead and I hope by sharing them they help inspire you.

Family planning in unprecedented times

This first section is unique to how we find ourselves in and dedicated to all those families finding it difficult right now. This useful tool has been a huge help for so many families throughout 2020.

So if you are struggling with some routine, you are not alone. It’s no wonder really, we’ve got a lot on our plate.

Schools are out, and we’re out of the office with hundreds of distractions and no real place to work or focus on our businesses. The house still needs cleaning, the dinner cooking and the food shop is taking twice as long if you can’t get a delivery slot. Have we really got more time? Some days it doesn’t feel like it.

So, it’s been our mission to create something to help families last year and now in Lockdown 3 that will bring some focus, keep up morale in these uncertain times and give you all a much-needed routine.

We have created a motivational daily and weekly timetable (depending on how you like to plan) full of positivity.

So why are schedules and routines so important?

Familiar activities can provide comfort for both adults and children during challenging and uncertain times. Just like adults, children feel more confident and secure when their daily activities are predictable and familiar. A consistent daily schedule and step-by-step routines give children a predictable day. Schedules and routines at home help children:

* Feel in control of their environment

* Feel safe, secure, and comfortable

* Know what is happening now and what comes next

* Know how to do an activity or task

* Engage in learning

---

So here six tips to help…

1. Set a routine (daily or weekly)

2. Get your work done in smaller chunks so you can check in with everyone regularly

3. Be realistic with the time you have, be kind to yourself

4. Get some fresh air (so bloody important)

5. Prioritise your workload, ask yourself, does it need to be done now? Try dividing your To-Do list into:

1. Get it done today
2. Put it off until tomorrow
3. Next week’s problem

6. Oh and Dry Jan…ditch it!

Planner time – setting up your diary

Once the family is organised, you can get down to business.

First thing’s first, you can’t set any goals, book in any calls or compile a to-do list until your diary/planner is set up for the year ahead. It’s essential to take some time to put in select dates and anything pending from last year.

Here’s an IGTV video on how I set up my HELLO TIME Planner.

The HT Planner is undated, so I use DATE DOT STICKERS to label up the year in advance.

Goal setting – where to start?

Once you’ve set up your planner or diary, it’s time to look at setting some goals or intentions for the year ahead.

How many of you set goals?

I never used to set any goals, but the last couple of years I have, and they’ve totally changed my business. I’d like to share how I go about setting goals by using my HELLO TIME Planner as a prompt and then scoping out a list that sits on my wall to keep me focused. It works for both service & product-based business as well as those climbing the career ladder.

Setting goals helps you focus on what you want from the year and gives you that all-important direction, stopping you from wasting your time on distractions that could take you off course.

In my IGTV, we look at the process I take, using the MY GOALS page in our planner as a brainstorming tool and prompts to get you started. This page is at the front of the planner as it’s one of the first things you should do before ploughing into your work for the year.

Then I show you how to list your goals using different categories.

Tackling to-do’s – how to make lists work for you!

Who doesn’t love a list? They help you get organised, be more productive and clear your head. And how satisfying is it to tick of those tasks! There is a dedicated section for your master to-do lists in your planner. I use the HT TO-DO LIST PAD to jot down any tasks that crop up in the day or organise my day the night before.

Want to know how to manage that never-ending list & make them work better for you?

In this IGTV we look at different styles of lists as outlined by the book.
PRODUCTIVITY NINJA. Tips and ideas on managing all those tasks to keep you on top of 😳 your game and in control of your time.