The Decisions That Make Fall A Lot Easier

In one of my recent CEO Power Planning sessions, one business owner realized her goals in past quarters had been too ambitious. If she wanted to move forward and gain momentum, she needed to narrow her focus. This time, she was intentional about what really needed to be done in Q3, and what could wait until Q4, and even 2027. 

It wasn’t that those things weren’t important - all of those goals were important to her. But when she made the decision about what she was going to focus on next, and what was going to wait, she was able to stop revisiting those decisions every week.

Decisions you make now will determine how easy (or hard) the fall feels. We all think that the weather will change, the kids will go back to school, and we will get back to business. But if you don’t decide what that “business” is, you’ll feel overwhelmed and spin your wheels, unsure of what you should do NEXT.

These are the decisions I recommend you make before fall gets busy:

What is your biggest priority between now and the end of the year?

As you look toward the rest of the year, ask yourself what's the most important thing you want to accomplish before December 31.

But don’t forget - the last quarter of the year is full of holidays. Although you may be refreshed after the summer, remember that you don’t necessarily have twelve full weeks. Will you take time off, or be hosting family from out of town? Will you be volunteering or attending events that your child is participating in?

Maybe your best bet is to hold off on a bigger goal that will require more time and attention you won’t have in the 4th quarter.

Either way, making this decision now means you don’t end up stressed when the holidays come along and you have to decide between working and spending time with your family.

What am I intentionally not focusing on?

New ideas pop up all the time. Give yourself permission to put those in a bucket to address later. And when you sequence your goals, like my client did, you’re not trying to do all the things at once. You can focus on what matters now and trust that you’ll get to the rest at the right time. I find that my clients are actually relieved when they realize they don’t need to do everything at once.

Which business development activities am I committing to each week/month?

I have found that the business owners who have made decisions around their business development routine - and then execute on that routine -  are the ones who ultimately build momentum and grow their business. Maybe that's two networking meetings a month, reaching out to five past clients every Friday, or blocking an hour each week for LinkedIn. You’ll decide the specifics for your business. The important thing is making the decision and consistently following through.

Is there something I need to finish before I start something new?

The home stretch can be tough, so when we have a shiny, new opportunity to distract us, it’s tempting to leave something unfinished. I have found that clients who leave loose ends behind struggle to go back and finish things up. It’s better to need more time to finish tasks necessary to achieve your goal than leave it unfinished.

What recurring time am I protecting to work ON my business?

Your business is also your “client”. You need time for your CEO Hour®, bookkeeping, marketing, networking, and any other recurring task that keeps your business in motion. Schedule this first and add your client work around it. You will always get your client work done. Set the same boundaries for working on your own business by deciding on when you’ll address these tasks. 

Making these decisions ahead of time makes it much easier to move into execution mode. It keeps you from rethinking the same things over and over, which leads to decision fatigue. And this leaves you with more time and mental energy for the important thinking you need to do in your business.

I find that clients who commit to weekly and quarterly planning and get in the habit of making decisions in advance are clearer, less overwhelmed, and ultimately move faster and build that momentum we’re all seeking.

CEO Power Planning gives you dedicated time to step back, reflect on where your business is today, decide what you want to focus on next, and create a plan you can confidently follow through on. 

The next session is on September 17th at 12:00 pm (EST).