Do These 2 Things Before Setting Your 2020 Goals

If you’re like most wedding pros you’re either a) preparing for 3 straight days of sleep or b) you’re psyched from the gains you made and ready for more. Or maybe c) scouring the web for ways to make passive income because you can’t handle another wedding season like this past one. 

Silly season is over

Many of you know I worked at a Resort in the Pacific Northwest for over a dozen years. It’s near Seattle where the rainy season is October 15 - June 15. We catered largely to families and boaters, so we were gangbusters busy in the summer. 

We could do as much business in one week in August as we did for November, December, and January combined. We called July 4 through Labor Day the “silly season” - by the end of it we all felt a bit out-of-whack.

But then we caught up on much needed sleep, took a long weekend to enjoy some of the fall beauty, and got back to it. 

Fall was and is my favorite time of the year

Why? It’s budgeting season. 

I know, I know. Most of you hate numbers. But budgets mean more than numbers. They showcase dreams. They lay out direction. They let us know if we’re on the right track. Budgets are really just plans painted by numbers.

If you’re going to put together a budget for 2020, good for you. Hit me up if you want some bonus content with a budget approach that’s super simple ([email protected]).

Before you figure out where you’re going

It’s tempting to get going on planning – with a budget or something else. Many creative pros are dreamers and want to get started right away.

Do yourself a favor and do two things first:

1. Look back on where you’ve been this past year. What did you accomplish? What did you struggle with? Dive into “did wells” and “do betters” in ALL aspects of your work, not just the end result of how much money you made. Key areas include client experience, vendor appreciation, pro network expansion/deepening, skill development, conversion rates, inquiry counts, new user traffic on your site, etc. etc. 

2. Check in on where you’re at now. What do you love doing the most? What are you best at? What are you worst at? What makes you feel overwhelmed? What makes you feel energized? The biggest mistake people make is just doing more of the same. The second-biggest mistake is doing what someone else is doing. 

    

Fall is for dreamers. You can count on me walking around a bit with my head in the clouds. Just make sure you’re tethered to the ground before you float away.