The finish line is in sight! In less than 4 weeks we’ll start another year.
For some, that means it’s time to slow down and cruise to the end of the year.
Don’t let that be you.
Races are won or lost in the final stretch. The stretch we are in right now.
And you’ve got another race starting on January 1st – so you want to carry momentum and not have a cold start.
This short and simple exercise will make it easier for you to both finish strong and carry the momentum you need into the new year.
Ready?
Turn to a new page in your handy notebook and write down your answers to the 3 questions below. The act of physically writing out your thoughts, either in bullet points or sentences will help you remember and get into action. It will also be a handy reference when you do this again at the beginning of next quarter.
1) What has worked really well for me in the last quarter?
2) How am I doing on my cash flow and time/productivity goals?
3) What can I improve in the next quarter?
Answering these 3 questions will allow you to celebrate your wins, and to course-correct to make sure you achieve your goals for the year!
And if you’d like the “TL;DR” version – and how to do it – keep reading.
Read on to learn more …
Ok, you’re still here.
1) What has worked really well for me in the last quarter?
Starting with your wins helps get you in the right state of mind – especially if you are not in the habit of celebrating as the wins come along.
If you’re struggling to find wins it might help to think of it in categories. You might use business categories like time & productivity, cash flow, clients, the team that supports you, your network, and your own well-being. You might also use personal categories like career, family, fun, relationships, community, or spirituality.
2) How am I doing on my cash flow and time/productivity goals?
This gets its very own question because these are the primary causes of stress for most attorneys and entrepreneurs. How has your cash flow and productivity been over the last 6 weeks? What do you need it to be in the next 6 weeks?
If you’re ahead of plan then don’t let up – see how much better you can do. If you are behind the plan, or you are unsure, then this is the time to decide what concrete thing you can do in the coming week to improve. Commit to working on that for 30 minutes in 3 of the next 5 days.
If your thing is getting more qualified cases then you might start with the referral strategy. Simply identify one person who has been a great referral source in the past. You can call them – on the phone. Have a conversation about what is going on in their business, and see if there is a way you can be of service to them. They will ask the same of you, and that will be your opportunity to share with them (or remind them) the profile of a good and qualified referral for you.
One of my clients did this and after a single phone call got 3 additional referrals. Just imagine what it could do for you if you make one of those calls each week for the next 6 weeks. Remember, you are not calling to ask for referrals – you are calling in the spirit of service to that person because the relationship is important.
If you are not sure how to describe a qualified referral then it is time to get busy working on that. Because if you can’t describe the referral you want then there is little chance that your people can deliver those referrals to you. If you’d like help with that just hit REPLY and we’ll find a time to talk.
3) What can I improve in the next quarter?
You’ll probably have a lot here besides money and time. Most professionals are so self-critical that this can be a pretty long list. That’s ok, for now. Let the thoughts flow so they are all right in front of you. Don’t get hung up on what didn’t work. Focus on what you can do to make it better. Then pick the top 3 things that you control, and block time to work on one of them each week for the next 3 weeks. Then repeat for the following 3 weeks. You’ll have a chance to review how you did at the end of the quarter.
You will get whatever you focus on. If you focus on problems you will get more of those. If you focus on opportunities and growth then you will get more opportunities and growth. So use the experience of the quarter to find the opportunities in the next – and work on those.
Onward!
-Doug