July 5, 2017

Quarterly action plans to help you get results

June’s over? Ju-lying!Indeed, the third quarter is already here my friend.But don’t let that freak you out.There’s still plenty of time to achieve your goals. And now is the best time to reassess your business objectives for the rest of the year.Here are some helpful resources to create your quarterly action plan:

Idea. Plan. Action.

“The quarter is the perfect unit of time to bridge your big-picture goals—which probably have a two- to five-year timeline or longer—and your weekly planning and daily action,” writes David Finkel of Inc.To achieve your objectives, Finkel recommends a three-step action plan:

Pick your three "focus areas" for the quarter
Clarify the criteria for success for each of your three focus areas
Lay out your key action steps and milestones for the quarter

Articulating simple, yet measurable goals takes the pressure off and lets you focus on getting the work done.

Learn. Prioritize. Establish. Measure.

“Ideally, companies should plan each quarter to achieve objectives that align with their annual goals,” says Entrepreneur’s Zach Cutler.You do that, right? Even if you don’t, you can start now with Cutler’s 4 Steps to Planning a Great Next Quarter:

Learn from the past
Prioritize your goals
Establish accountability
Measure, measure, measure

His first point is crucial. Before you go blazing forward, take a step back. Said another way—check yo’self before you wreck yo’self.

Best Apps for Goal Setting

Set objectives and track progress wherever you go (if that’s what you’re into) with these top-rated mobile apps.If you need more of a task-based app, you could try Wunderlist. That’s what our team uses, and we are kind of fanatical about our to-do lists, so you know it’s pretty good.