Planning in September to make it a year to remember

I try to soak up as much summer as I can. Longer days, more sunshine, and lots of time to play outside.

But when the days start getting shorter and the end of grilling season nears, I get excited about fall.

I get a jolt of energy every September. It’s that tingly back-to-school feeling I still get even as an adult and my forever memory of the start of hockey season, which was my passion growing up. 

Change of season 

For many business leaders, September marks a return to the office after stress-free, sun-drenched days at the beach or a cottage with family and friends. 

It’s a return to routines, time to refocus and finish the year by hitting targets set in January.

Lately, though, I’ve thought that September – rather than the start of the new year – is a better time to map out your goals and plan of attack for a successful year for your business and career. 

Think about it. We put so much pressure on ourselves to perfectly script the next 12 months ahead by the time the calendar flips to January 1. Yet, the month before creating this clear path to productivity, your life was likely chockful of social events, shopping, and other holiday stresses, so you are probably already on low battery. 

This rushed planning barely gives us time to reflect on the past year and adequately project for the year ahead. 

But if you plan in September, after a reenergizing summer break, you will be far better positioned for a winning 2023 because you’ve got three extra months to properly fine-tune your plan before Q1 even begins. 

Plan to plan

You need proper focus and time to make your plan. This isn’t something you can squeeze in before your 2 o’clock Zoom meeting. It needs to be a priority.

Start by blocking off planning time – say 90 minutes for the next four Fridays to devote to your future success.  If planning a wedding or milestone birthday, you wouldn’t leave it until the last minute, right? The same goes for your business. You need to plan, plan, plan. 

If you can’t do 4 x 90, then book an entire day off-site, somewhere where you work distraction-free. 

Take a look back

Before looking ahead, you need to review. What has gone well for your company or team for the first three quarters of this year? What are you most proud of accomplishing? What is giving you the most satisfaction or joy? What did not go so well? What lessons can you take from this, and what changes will you make? Make a list and keep refining it.

What’s your future vision?

Imagine what a successful 2023 looks like, personally and professionally. Ask yourself questions.

How do you want to feel? Do you need more energy? How about your health? Does that a nagging knee problem you’ve been ignoring require rehab? What do you want to learn, and how do you want to grow?

What about your family? Do you need to change the energy or dynamic at home? That may include being more present with each other or less screen time for everyone. What experiences or trips do you want to experience together?

What about your team? How do you want them to be performing next year? How will you measure success?

You need to have a vision before managing and prioritizing your time and focus.

The path forward

Now that you know what success looks like, you need to figure out what is required to get there. 

That may be signing up to take a class or seminar, introducing new habits or adding a new team member to bolster your lineup. Or maybe someone on your team needs more training to become a valuable contributor. 

Committing the time in September to set and refine your vision and goals for the coming year will pay off big-time for you and your team. 

If you’ve got more significant issues to plan for, say problematic team dynamics or work culture issues, and you need an outside opinion, or you want some support, feel free to reach out.