Create a Treasure Map for 2018

Happy New Year! It seems like this is a natural time to re-evaluate aspects of life and set new goals personally and professionally. There are many ways people accomplish this task. Some individuals like to announce resolutions or come up with a word for the year. Others tend to be more list oriented and use bullet points to focus on main concepts. There is even the detail-oriented, well-structured plan complete with topic sentences and supportive paragraphs laid out as a way of achieving success. Hopefully, whatever method you use, works! There is no correct way to enter the New Year and accomplish your tasks; in fact, the “best” way is any way that works for you and your situation.

I am not going to focus on the how, but rather the what. Hopefully we are all on a journey that we find fulfilling and enjoyable. If not, perhaps that is your starting point for 2018. For those who know what they want but need a bit of advice on how to get it, well, that’s what I want to share. Let’s talk business.

I have several goals to take my perinatal business to the next level. The first thing I am going to do is complete my 2018 planning calendar. That may seem elementary, but people may be surprised to learn that this step is often neglected. Entrepreneurs often find themselves reacting and trying to stay one step ahead of the game rather than systematically planning their year and breaking the months down into quarters, so progress can be charted. The year will be over before we know it and the old adage is true, “He who aims at nothing is sure to hit it.”

Start by dividing the year into quarters. I like making a table.

Now, think of this table as your map. It shows you where you are going. You need to fill in the blanks with the directions to get there.

There are some projects and tasks that will be completed every quarter and some that need only be tackled once a quarter.

I fill in the things I do every quarter first. Next, I put in required events that happen the same time every year (like paying taxes). Once those are completed, I try to put one project in each quarter. Below is a sample chart I have begun for 2018. I love checking things off my list, and if I complete them early in the quarter, I will add other tasks.

Besides this “Treasure Map”, I also make daily task lists to ensure my time is well-spent. I highlight the items on my daily task list that will bring me closer or closure to the quarterly list. For instance, one daily task for this quarter is to get my headshot updated which will go on my new brochure (a quarterly goal).
My other daily tasks are divided into times. I have two days off a week from my county job, so on those days my calendar day will have a heading of morning, afternoon, evening. In the morning, I will meditate, check emails, make phone calls, post on Facebook, and check voicemail. Afternoons are reserved for paperwork. A lot of people are away for lunch and my time is best spent working on projects that need completing. I don’t always have to work in the evening, but if I do, I post events on Facebook and fill orders from my on-line store. I also call individuals that may have been at work in the morning but want to chat about the trainings, their upcoming birth or need mentoring. I also reserve evenings for private classes and consultations.

I find that if I do not plan, my minutes, hours and days pass without me being any closer to my goals. “A dream is just a dream. A goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline”—Harvey Mackay. I wish all your dreams come true in 2018.

Christy Jo Hendricks IBCLC, RLC, CLE, CCCE, Lactation Educator Faculty Christy Jo brings over 20 years of teaching experience to the classroom. She is an Internationally Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and Certified Birth Doula. She has a passion for facilitating and protecting the mother/baby bond. Her contribution to this field has been recognized by the United States Presidential Volunteer Award and the Phyllis Klaus Founder’s Award for Promoting the Mother/Baby Bond. Christy Jo’s life-long goal has been to help others reach theirs. Her informative, yet entertaining teaching style makes learning enjoyable and retention easy. Christy Jo currently teaches lactation, attends births, facilitates lactation clinics for low-income clients and advocates for women in Southern California, where she lives with her husband and three children.  More…