The Information Source

When the flurry of holiday sales activity subsides, and you've made it through your own holiday celebrations, it's important to take a few quiet hours to two things: look back, and look ahead.

LOOK BACK

Review the goals you set in the beginning of the year (or, if you just started this year, the goals you had in mind when you launched the business).

Are you on track? If you reached your goals, take a moment to give yourself a big pat on the back, and then answer the following:

1) What did you do during the year that led to that success?
2) Was it too easy of a goal?
3) Was it the original goal, or did you change it during the year?
4) Was it a meaningful goal, in terms of increasing your bottom line?
Are you off track? If you didn't hit your goals, don't wallow in it or allow yourself to get discouraged. Instead, answer the following:

1) What was the single biggest obstacle that kept you from achieving your goal?
2) Was the goal realistic?
3) Was the goal a good one--- meaning, if you'd achieved it, would your bottom line be better?
4) What could you have done differently that might have made it possible for you to achieve your goal?

LOOK AHEAD

Once you've assessed what you did well during the year, and what opportunities you might have missed, you've got the information you need to steer your goal-setting decisions for 2006. Using what you've learned, you can set goals which are challenging (yet realistic), and financially meaningful. You can also anticipate the kinds of problems and obstacles which might come up, and have action plans prepared to deal with them.

Be sure to set a few hours aside before the start of the year to look back and look ahead--- because when you know where you've been, where you are now, and where you want to go--- you're a lot more likely to get there!