Have Your Best Year Ever! The Best and Simplest Tool to Grow Your Coaching Business.
Want to know the best tool to grow your coaching business? Well, it’s simple – regular planning! And I don’t mean a fully-fledged 30 page business plan. I’m talking about simply setting business goals and actions towards those goals, reviewing progress regularly and refocusing. Something we do with our clients – but not always for our businesses.
However great your potential, ideas or coaching skills, without planning, your business will lack direction and focus. You’re more likely to struggle, feel overwhelmed – and you won’t achieve everything you’re capable of.
Here’s a quick overview of how I plan out my business:
- I start with, once a year, planning my goals for the year ahead.
- Once a quarter, I have my Three Month Planning Ritual.
- Once a month, I decide what I’m working on that month.
- Once a week, I decide on my top priorities for that week.
- And finally, first thing in the morning and again after lunch, I decide what I’m working on that day.
Each of these steps looks at the bigger goals picture; so at my thee-month planning session I review my annual goals. At my monthly planning session, I look at my three-month goals right through to reviewing my weekly goals on a daily basis. It’s almost too easy…
I can hear some of you saying “Eugh! Too much, too rigid!”
Ah yes, you wonderful, spontaneous, creative coaches keen to dance in the moment! I bet you don’t just get up and go on vacation. First you envision your holiday, then you do research and planning, before you finally book. And whilst it’s often tedious to organize a vacation, you still do it. So, why don’t we do this for our businesses?
Regular business planning makes it easy for me to plan my days and feel good about what I’m doing. I wake up and KNOW what to do, which gives me a sense of inner peace. And you know what else? My business has been growing steadily since I made this a regular practice.
I want this for you. I want you to be excited about the future of your business. To keep getting stronger, better and contributing to the world in a personal and meaningful way.
Planning can be hard work – if you make it. But it can also be fun, relaxing and inspiring – if you let it! What would it take to get you excited about planning your business (like me!)?
Planning your year ahead is a great place to start. I clear my diary for at least half a day, making sure I won’t be interrupted. I make my environment relaxing and comfortable, get in some yummy snacks and play quiet uplifting music. Then I imagine what I want for my year ahead, creating a colourful mind-map with key goals for the year ahead. And I also summarise each key goal into one word – like Focus! Build! Simplify!
And here are some questions to help you figure out what you want to achieve in the coming year:
- What business goals would really put a SMILE on your face?
- What would have happened by the end of the year to leave you FEELING MAGNIFICENT about your business?
- If you were ONLY allowed to achieve five things this year, what would they be?
- What would you be disappointed NOT to achieve this year?
- WHY do you want these goals? What do they GIVE you?
- How do you want to FEEL at the end of this year?
- If you did nothing else, what THREE things would make this year a SUCCESS for you?
- How can you bring more FUN and PLAY into your business next year?
- What are the key THEMES (each goal in one word!) for your business next year?
Running your own business is a lot of work. And if you’re anything like me, you came out of coaching school excited but unprepared for the many hours of hard slog ahead. At times it can be overwhelming and disheartening and we can lose touch with why we wanted to become a coach in the first place.
And planning your year is planning for success! There will always be more to do than time allows, so we must set goals, prioritise and make sure we are working on what is most important. And when you do that, you’ll notice your business (and you!) grows in leaps and bounds.
Ha! I am actually sitting in my office right now, designing my business vision for 2015. I checked Twitter for something and opened the ICF link to this article. Timely, Emma-Lousie!
I endorse the daily/weekly/monthly focus. As a minimalist, this appeals to me. My intention this year is to do less but do whatever it is well. I can fine tune my efforts within a short range to keep my longer term goals within view and this will help me stay motivated and reduce wasting time.
Out of your nine questions, the last one spoke to me. I have a list of tangible goals but I can get lost in them if I can’t recite a simple mantra, articulating the main themes of what I am after overall.
Thanks for the boost today!
Jo
Life Coach & Organizer
Toronto, Canada
Dear Jo!
Thank-you SO much for your comments! I am so glad this article caught you at just the right moment! I think sometimes we confuse “Ease” and “Simplicity” – so this structured planning – is simple and straightforward, but not necessarily easy…
Like you, I also love the last question.When I’m having one of those days where I notice I’m “battling through the day” – I think – “Ah yes, this year was about “Focus”, “Simplicity” and “Ease” ” and I can ask myself what I need to do to move in this direction.
Warmly, Emma-Louise
Happy 2015 Emma-Louise and thank you for sharing your personal journey to coaching success! Like you I am motivated by simple, honest focused tasks. I respect your clear steps of planning.
One of my favorite quotes is “He who fails to plan is planning to fail” …Winston Churchill which I have adapted to “She who plans is setting-up herself and others for success”…Simple daily rituals that take us to that positive place of success is what feeds my soul everyday and keeps me emotionally, mentally and physically fit.
1. Making my green smoothies
2. Reading for 10 minutes every morning positive quotes and sharing them with the universe
3. Exercise of minimum 30 minutes per day (if missed make it up that week)
4. Acknowledging and saying thank you every day to 10 people
5. Gratitude to myself for completing, progressing or moving something on my priority list
Dream Big and keep living your best life x Rachel Petero x
Dear Rachel,
Thank-you for your lovely comment! I love your adaptation of the Churchill quote.
I also like, “For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned.” Author Unknown
I also love your habits! I think habits are what set us up for success – and we can create wonderful, healthy ones any time (like yours!).
Wishing you an amazing 2015! Warmly, Emma-Louise
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