As we approach the final stretch of the year, it’s essential for leaders to take a step back, reflect, and evaluate the journey so far. Whether your team had a challenging year, celebrated major wins, or navigated unexpected pivots, now is the time to make sense of it all, recalibrate, and gear up for 2025 with clarity and purpose!

Many look to January 1st as the time to plan the year, but leaders know better. I, for example, start Q1 planning in October of the previous year. It doesn't mean that things can't shift or change, and it doesn't mean that I don't evaluate in January as well, but it DOES mean that to start the year strong, I need to plan a quarter ahead of time.

Leaders should reflect on the past year before setting new goals because it helps them understand what worked and what didn’t, providing valuable insights for future decision-making. By evaluating successes and challenges, leaders can make more informed and realistic goals, avoid past mistakes, and...

It's the start of a new year, and if there's one thing everyone is doing, it's making plans.

But did you know that most people don't realize the four components of effective planning, and THAT is why so many fall off on their goals early in the year?

Here are 4 components of planning:

Vision casting, goal-setting, habit-building, and mindset.

If you've struggled with not only enjoying the process of planning but also activating and achieving your goals, it might be because you didn't have all four of the necessary components to make planning effective. 

If you're lacking even one of the 4 components, it's going to make achieving your goals that much harder. The good news is we're talking about all of them below, so you won't be missing anything this year!

4 Must-Have Components for Effective Planning

1. Vision

Picture this: you're headed out on a road trip to a place you've never been before. How do you get there? A map!

Just like you need directions...