The year 2020 has a certain ring to it because it represents not only the start of a New Year, but a whole new decade! 

With all of these “New’s” to take advantage of, you want to set yourself up to hit the ground running by taking the time to create vision and a plan to bring it to reality.  There is no better time to cement these than in November. It is the ideal month and I will explain why by looking at what happens in the traditional planning months of December and January. 

December - Season Takeover 

December is pretty much marked by three things...Christmas, parties and wind down. 

Christmas and the hustle and bustle that goes with that speaks for itself. Even if you do not celebrate it, it is pretty hard to avoid it and be drawn into the buzz. 

Parties are everywhere - personal, office and any other reason that can be found to let your hair down and shake a leg. It is just a standard for this time of year. 

Then we have the inevitable December wind down in preparation for the upcoming 1-2 weeks away from work.  It is a chance to enjoy the socially accepted time to shut off from the world, rest and recuperate after a busy year. 

In all of this, where would there be any real opportunity to find some quality time to plan out your strategy for the New Year? Chances are pretty slim. 

January Come Back Season 

You may think that January would be a better, but if you consider what happens in that month it quickly becomes apparent that it really isn’t the best month to plan.  People do not tend to go back to work until the second week of the month, even then they are usually on a go slow and feel down with the January blues. Unhappy with their over indulgence over Christmas, work that has been missed and needs to be caught up on and just the fact of having to return to work and the routine that comes with it. 

By the time the pace picks back up and you get into the swing of things, 2/3 of the month have passed. Then just like that, 2020 has now become an 11 month year. One month effectively wasted with no real action taken to drive life and business forward. The cycle continues for another year.

This is why November is the best month to plan and prepare for the New Year. To create clear goals and set yourself up to “hit the ground running” from the get go in 2020.

Maximise the power of November!

So, how can you set yourself up for a great start to your new year in November? 

1. Maximise on the fact that aside from the usual day to day activities, you are free from the cultural demands that you see in December and January.

2. Set aside a few hours of uninterrupted time where you can be alone with your pen, paper and a clear mind. Maybe even go away for a weekend.

3. Consider how your year has gone so far, what you learned and how this will make a change to how you wish to do things going forward

4. Grab your yearly calendar or planner and write down your top goals for 2020 - what do you want to earn? What do you want to get done? What do you want to launch or offer?

5. Map out when you want to focus on each thing in the year. Don’t forget that you should allow for planned holidays and times that you know you will not be able to work.

6. Consider if you have the foundations in place to support your plans i.e. are you systems and processes ready? Do you need to do any pre-work such as building your audience, tidy up your website and services etc? Are you PR and marketing ready?

7. Break it down into manageable chunks like 90 days which you can then break down into monthly goals.

8. Put it somewhere that you can see it every day so that you remain focused

9. Now get on with finishing the rest of 2019 strong!

The Benefits 

Getting your business planning done and out of the way in November means that:

1. You will know what you are doing in advance – there is a sense of satisfaction that comes with that!

2. You will have an actual plan of action and know EXACTLY what you need to do and when to smash your 2020 goals

3. You will not feel under pressure, so you can create a well thought out plan without the rush

4. You will be one step ahead and can fully enjoy your December and the wind down knowing that you have a plan in place already

5. You will be able to use the full 12 months of 2020 and not waste January trying to figure it all out. You will maximise on time!

The only way to get a different result is to do things differently.  This is how CEOs think. They do not wait until the last minute to plan. They are visionaries and put things in place to support the success of the business in advance. It is time to think and act like CEO and lead yourself and your team, if you have one, into a great start to the New Year with vision, purpose and a plan.