Do you want to make 2021 the best year for your online business?
Are you trying to take what you're doing to the next level?
In this post, I will walk you through a process that will help you have the best year ever.
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The New Year
It's almost here. 2020 is almost over and 2021 is right around the corner.
For many people all across the world, 2020 has not been a good year. The Coronavirus pandemic has turned the world upside down.
People are losing their jobs left and right. Businesses are shutting down. Families are struggling to make ends meet.
That's the reality that so many people are facing right now, and it sucks.
Others have had a very successful year. In some industries, the growth has been staggering.
Take a company like Zoom for example. They are seeing a tremendous amount of growth due to the changing nature of work.
People are working from home in greater numbers than ever before.
Regardless of where you find yourself on the spectrum, there's a lot that you can do to have a successful 2021.
In this post, I want to give you some ideas that can help you do just that.
My “Get-It-Done” Spreadsheet
I created a spreadsheet that will help you do all the things I walk you through all the steps I recommend in this post. That will help you get on the right track for rocking 2021.
Decide that 2021 will be your best year
Yes, I know that sounds like an oversimplification. Deciding doesn't change anything, right?
Hold up now. I've actually come to realize that when you fully make a decision, you can make magic happen.
But that only happens when you commit to that decision. 395 days ago, I DECIDED that I was going to be healthier. I decided to exercise every day for at least of 30 minutes.
This morning was day 395, and I don't plan on ever stopping. At what point did I achieve something amazing? For me, it was on day 1. Because I decided, and committed to that decision.
This is the first step in the process.
Take Inventory of where you stand
If you want to make 2021 your best year to date, you have to know where you are starting from. Take inventory of where you stand in the following areas.
- Work/Business
- Finances
- Spiritual
- Health & Body
- Relationship with others
- Personal
You will do this by giving yourself a score on a scale of 1 to 10 in my Work-Life Inventory sheet.
Here are some examples of how I've rated myself on a few of the statements:
Work/Business
- I enjoy what I do for work – 8
- I embrace the opportunities for advancement in my work – 9
- I finish the tasks on my to do list each day – 6
Health & Body
- I am happy with my current weight – 9
- I take regular physical activity every day – 8
- I don't smoke or drink alcohol excessively – 10
Personal
- I like myself – 9
- I treat myself from time to time – 6
- I have a life outside of my work – 6
There are ten statements in each of the categories. The idea here is to take inventory of where you are, and to reevaluate periodically.
Once you complete your inventory, it will automatically plot your Web of Balance. This will show you if anything is out of whack.
If you take a look at my web of balance, you will see that I need to make some improvements in the area of my finances.
What I've noticed from doing this a few times is that each time I do it, my circle becomes a little more well-rounded. That's exactly what we're going for.
Pick your goals
Now that you have an inventory of where you stand, it's time to choose some goals to focus on.
Since the purpose of this post is about having the best 2021 in your online business, let's focus on that area.
What goals do you want to work towards in 2021? Here are some great examples of some goals you can set in your business:
- I will increase my email list by 3,000 subscribers by December 31st, 2021.
- I will grow my revenue by 15% in 2021. Or – I will increase my monthly income to $3,000/month by July 1st, 2021.
What I want you to do is create a list of short, medium and long term goals. And for each goal, write down WHY that goal is important to you.
Break down your goals
Now that you have your goals written down, it's time to break them down. Choose your first three goals and answer the following questions:
- What is the goal? Write it down.
- What are the benefits of reaching that goal? List every benefit you can think of.
- What is the pain associated with not reaching that goal?
- What resources/knowledge do you need to gain to reach that goal?
- What are the steps involved in reaching that goal? Be as clear as possible with this. And if you don't know the exact steps, list the steps you need to take to find out the steps. For example, you may not know how to launch a podcast, but you can take a course on the topic.
- By what date will you reach that goal? Yes, give it a specific date.
Track your daily and weekly activities
This is where the magic happens. Having goals and knowing what you need to do to accomplish those goals is great. But your success happens as you take action. Here's how we're going to do this…
Every week, write down your the three goals you are working towards for the quarter. Then, write down the goals you're working towards for the week. Do this at the start of the week or the end of the previous week.
At the end of each day, check where you stand. What did you do that brought you closer to your goals? What went well? Where is there room for improvement?
By writing these things down daily and weekly, you will be getting closer to your goals every day.
Revisit your goals on a regular basis
One of the reasons many people never accomplish their goals is that they set it and forget it. That's not what you're trying to do here.
So it's important for you to revisit your goals on a regular basis. I recommend revisiting your goals every quarter. That way, you can see where you stand and adjust accordingly.
If you are falling short, you can be proactive about adjusting course. If you're doing better than expected, you can set bigger goals.
In fact, it's a good idea to redo your inventory. How did things change? How does your web of balance look? Is it getting a little rounder? Great, you're making progress.
Build the right habits
2020 was a significant year for me when it comes to habits. I had some health and fitness goals. So I decided to make exercise a daily habit. I committed to exercising for a minimum of 30 minutes every day.
I knew that if I got into that habit, I would get much closer to my health and fitness goal this year. Well, today is day 402 and I'm in the best shape of my life.
What I've come to realize is that goals are best accomplished through habits. Choose the habits that will help you accomplish your goals and then commit to making it happen.
Let's wrap this up
2020 is almost over. And while we don't know exactly what 2021 will hold, here's what we do know.
The only thing you have any real control over is your actions. What you do can set the stage for your success or your failure.
Being out of shape is hard. Being in shape is hard.
Being lazy is hard. Being productive is hard.
Pick your hard. The bad stuff is hard because of the consequences that come as a result. And the good stuff is hard because of the effort you have to put into it.
Every step you take in the right direction gets you one step closer to your goals. So take that first step!
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