#21: How to Set Goals and Create a Plan for the New Year

In this episode of the Online Marketing Made Easy Podcast, we focus on streamlining your business planning for the New Year. We reached out to successful online marketers, including Michael Hyatt, Pat Flynn, Melanie Duncan, Chris Ducker, and Michael Stelzner, to learn how they plan for the coming year.

Goal Setting Tips:

1. Get Specific:

- Reflect on what worked in your business this year.

- Identify what excited you, what customers loved, and what was profitable.

- Prioritize enhancing and optimizing what already works.

- Address what didn't work or needs improvement and what you should stop doing.

2. Stack Your Goals:

- Create big-picture goals and break them down into smaller, achievable mini-goals.

- Focus on one mini-goal each month, eventually reaching the big yearly goal.

- Write down your goals, break them into smaller steps, and tackle them one by one.

Bonus Tip: Be Protective of Your Time:

- Be deliberate about how you spend your time.

- Learn to say no when necessary to protect your focus and achieve your goals.

Goal Setting Sheet:

- Condense your goals onto one page, keeping them simple and concise.

- Include:

1. Revenue projections: Specify how much you plan to earn and where the income will come from.

2. Contributions: Set goals for contributions, such as charity or connecting with customers.

3. My Special Focus: Highlight an area of special focus for the year.

4. Focused Foundation Strategies: Detail specific strategies to achieve your goals, such as content creation or email marketing.

Vision Statement:

- Develop a company vision statement that reflects your goals and aspirations.

- Keep it simple and visible in your workspace to maintain focus.

Comfort Zone and Growth:

- Set your goals slightly beyond your comfort zone to stimulate growth.

- Embrace uncertainty, fear, and a sense of inadequacy as indicators that you're heading in the right direction.

To support your goal setting, a Goal Planning Worksheet is provided for download. This episode features insights and tips from accomplished online marketers to inspire you to take action and set your goals for the upcoming year.