2023 is just around the corner. But in order to fly forward we must look back. How did you do in 2022?
2022 is almost a wrap and in today's episode, we are going to talk about how to strategically and intentionally end your year well so that you are an even better Early Childhood business owner or manager stepping into 2023.
Before making ANY plans ahead, you need to evaluate what worked and what didn’t. You will look at your successes and failures. Whether you hit your goals or not, you need to look back. It’s important to not get caught up in the shoulda-coulda-woulda’s of the past year. This past year is filled with information – and looking back will give you space to uncover it.
Too often in life, we are so busy getting all the things done that we breeze past reflection. But no matter what the year brought, celebrating wins no matter how small, and analyzing setbacks, make us more likely to achieve in the future. The simple practice of putting pencil to paper with a little focused time is the first step in achieving those 2023 goals.
So today on the ECBME podcast we’re discussing what your end-of-year review process and what that looks like. Uncovering what really matters to set you up for success in the new year. By spending a little time looking back with a year-end review you will be able to:
Use a year-end review strategy to plan a fabulous new year.
Decide what you want when it comes to a lifestyle with more time+freedom.
Set yourself up for success in the new year with more clarity.
Now I LOVE systems and planning! One of my favorite things about December (outside of watching Hallmark Channel Christmas movies and drinking lots of bubbles… anyone else!?) is doing my end of year business review.
My overarching themes uncovered about the past year in my end of year review:
Being a mom and an Early Childhood business owner/manager is really, really hard… but really, really worth it.
I want to be the visionary leading my business not merely managing it.
I don’t have to do it all; in fact, I really don’t want to anymore.
When you do an end-of-year business review you're able to adequately assess what worked and what didn't and you're able to take an outside perspective on your business because you're seeing data. You're seeing things in black and white. You are also evaluating feelings and emotions.
So when you're doing an end-of-year business review I want you to understand that you are going to be assessing two things facts and feelings. Facts and feelings are very different but they are both important.
Facts are the black-and-white details that tell you things like what was your revenue, how many families did you serve, enrollment, and parties, facts show you exactly what's happening.
Feelings are how you're doing as a CEO, Confident Early Childhood Operator. As the CEO of an
Early Childhood business there are a lot of feelings. A lot of emotions. You are working with other people’s most prized possessions in life, with team members who are more passionate about what they do but deserve to be paid more than society has decided for working with children.
When doing an end-of-year business review, we need to weigh feelings alongside of facts together. Especially if you are wanting to live more of a time+freedom lifestyle.
Use a year end review strategy to plan a fabulous new year.
Before making ANY plans ahead, you need to evaluate what worked and what didn’t. You will look at your successes and failures. Whether you hit your goals or not, you need to look back. It’s important to not get caught up in the shoulda-coulda-woulda’s of the past year. This past year is filled with information – and looking back will give you space to uncover it.
Because we are focused on operating our EC businesses with more time+feedom, it is important to take a self-assessment. Look at things like family, friends, spirituality,
Health and fitness, recreation, and more. All of this in addition to finances, growth, and business goals. Look at all areas of your life and assess what is working and what isn’t. What do you want to take with you into the new year and what is getting trashed?
You are going to look at gratitude and abundance. Even failures can create a sense of gratitude. One of my earliest failures, signing a lease for a space that was way too big, was the failure that I have the most gratitude. It taught me that I cannot do it all and I learned I have to trust my team or I will not make it in this business. I found that abundance comes when you can let go and believe in others as well as yourself.
Decide what you want when it comes to a lifestyle with more time+freedom.
The next step is to decide what you want when it comes to operating a profitable EC business with a lifestyle that has more time+freedom. This takes the self-assessment a little farther. You know what is important to you but what do you really want? What values are important to you? How do you want to serve others in your business? What is your dream life? Your dream business?
If you could have anything you want in life — in your career or business, your family, love life, health or finances — what would it be? Hold on to that image. Now, if there’s any area of your life that’s not how you imagined...guess what? You can change it. When you’re willing to face what’s not working, you’re already on the path to victory. Clarify your dreams and start getting results.
Set yourself up for success in the new year with more clarity.
In this end-of-year business review you are assessing things that will help you uncover what matters so that you can not only plan for the new year, but find more time+freedom in the new year because of that plan. This is what will give you more clarity to lead your team and live your life with more joy and less overwhelm.
I can't stress it enough if you take a little time right now to assess some of these areas you will absolutely be more strategic in stepping into the new year. When things happen out of your control, you can always tweak things based on what you were able to uncover in this end-of-year business review. Because you have identified what matters. What you want and where you want to go.
With this clarity, you can keep charging forward into the new year where you will be able to lead better and you will be stronger because of it.
So the year is coming to an end, I hope it’s been all you hoped for and more. I have a feeling you’ve accomplished a lot more than you maybe even expected. I’ve been told time and again that there in some kind of magic in this process – a sprinkling of fairy dust I like to call focus.
I have no doubt the year has looked differently than planned— in good ways, bad ways, and unexpected ways. Now it is time to reflect on it. After it’s all said and done, I hope the intentions you set for the year came to be and the outcomes you hoped for in one way or another happened.
Too often in life, we are so busy getting all the things done that we breeze past reflection. But no matter what the year brought, celebrating wins no matter how small, and analyzing setbacks, makes us more likely to achieve in the future. The simple practice of putting pencil to paper and taking count is creating pathways in your brain that increase resilience and perseverance.
Resources
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We give Early Childhood business owners/managers the operational strategies and tools they need to grow their profitable businesses with more joy, confidence, clarity, and less overwhelming.
You will learn how to spend less time on small details and daily tasks. You can spend more time doing the things you truly enjoy. Focusing on the things that really matter, your top priorities, your key relationships, your most important projects, all the things that will bring you more joy and your business more success.