by Amanda Loveland
As an entrepreneur, there are endless tasks you can complete on any given day – from personal tasks (like laundry, paying bills, exercising) to business tasks (managing staff, writing blog posts, attending networking events).
How do you make sure that you’re spending time doing the things that will help you reach your goals (and how do you know what you never have to do… ever again)?
The 4 step process I have outlined for you below has become my beacon of hope in a world where my to do list seems endless, and I offer it to help you stay focused on what you really want to accomplish this year.
You will also find a link to a bomb dot com podcast interview I did with Amber Lilyestrom about how I built an online school for entrepreneurs, Wealth University, in a few hours a day, and spent the rest of my time surfing & traveling (and how you can, too).
Listen to the interview.
Step 1. Create a clear & simple annual vision
In the field of entrepreneurs, big dreams are aplenty. We have big dreams and all kinds of definition around what it is that our future holds. I can assure you, my dream is as expansive and defined as the next personal development conference junkie, but successful visions are often the simplest.
One year into my business, I came upon a video of Taylor Swift before she was ever discovered, and she said, very simply… “My big dream is to look out into a crowd of thousands of people and have them sing the words to my songs. I have tunnel vision, and, for me, that’s all I see.”
Damn, Taylor, you just dropped some truth on me.
A vision excessively defined can often do more harm than good, because it has SO many details that you wouldn’t actually fight for.
To set your clear, simple annual vision, ask yourself this…
Of all the things I could achieve this year, what are 5-10 things I know for sure I want?
Step 2. Use your annual vision to define monthly goals
A monthly goal is an OUTCOME you want to achieve, not an action step you can take.
For example, if one of the things you know for sure you want to achieve this year is generating $100,000 in business sales, a monthly goal might be, “Generate $8,000 in sales this month,” rather than, “Have 10 sales conversations this month.”
Having 10 sales conversations is an action step you can take to help you achieve $8,000 in sales, but it’s not an OUTCOME you want to generate (who wants to make 10 sales calls without selling anything?).
The first Monday of each month, sit down with the list of 5-10 things you know for sure you want to achieve this year and ask yourself…
What can I achieve in the next 30 days that steps me drastically in that direction?
Narrow it down to 3-5 Monthly Goals that step you drastically towards your annual vision.
Step #3. Identify weekly landmarks
A weekly landmark is a measurable outcome that shows you are on target to reach your monthly goal.
Just like your monthly goals, weekly landmarks are OUTCOMES, not action steps. If you have set a monthly goal of generating $8,000, than your weekly landmark might be, “generate $4,000 in sales by Friday,” rather than, “Ask for referrals from current clients.”
With your monthly goals in hand, sit down on the first day of each work week and ask yourself…
In order to achieve my monthly goals, what must I accomplish by Friday of this week?
Once you have defined 3-5 weekly landmarks, you can store your annual vision & monthly goals away for safe keeping until the following week. This list of 3-5 weekly landmarks will be your North Star for the next 7 days.
Step #4. Prioritize daily action using weekly landmarks
At the very beginning of your work day, write down every single thing that you could spend your time doing.
This includes personal things (like laundry, paying bills, and exercising), and nagging possibilities that I feel I should do (like interacting on social media and cleaning out my email inbox).
Then, bring out your list of 3-5 weekly landmarks and ask yourself…
Based on what I want to accomplish by Friday of this week, what are all the actions I could take today to help me step drastically in that direction?
Brainstorm, and add all of your ideas to your Could Do list.
Then, looking at the seemingly endless list of all the things you could do today, prioritize the “could do’s” based on how relevant they are to your Weekly Landmarks.
For example, if one of my Weekly Landmarks is to generate $4,000 in sales, I have created an example Could Do list for you below, and prioritized it according to how relevant each task is to my weekly landmark.
- Follow up with last week’s sales calls
- Call 10 people & ask for referrals
- Schedule networking event for this week
- Post video on social media promoting sale
- Check in with assistant
- Pay bills
- Go to yoga at 4 pm
- Laundry
Focus on completing daily priority #1 until it is complete, and do nothing else until it is so.
Tip: Put the thing that scares you the most as priority #1. This usually produces your weekly landmark the quickest & easiest way (which means you work less and achieve more).
By prioritizing daily actions from your weekly landmarks (which come from your monthly goals, which come from your annual vision), you ensure that what you are doing is creating results that align with what you want to achieve by the end of the year.
Now, let’s get your most successful year started… shall we?
PS – If you like this blog, you’ll love this podcast interview for the SoulPowered CEO with Amber Lilyestrom, where we cover:
-How I built my business while learning how to surf, walking the streets of Rome and being the happiest possible person I could be
-What exactly determines the results in your life & business
-AND why becoming wealthy is actually a selfless act
Listen to the interview.
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Before the age of 30, Amanda Loveland built a six-figure coaching business, founded Wealth University (an online school for entrepreneurs in their 20s & 30s), and created the Genuine Sales System (a unique approach to finding your authentic voice in the sales conversation).
She was recognized in 2015 by Mary Morrissey with the Dream Builder Award of Excellence for her uncommon success in the coaching field, and is certified as a Dream Builder Coach, a Parent Coach, and a Nonprofit Leader.
Find gifts, resources, and courses that show you how to build an empire, hustle-free, at amandaloveland.com
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