Finishing 2021 Strong in business

Welcome to Finishing 2021 strong in business or crawling to the finish line.

Let’s dive in and ask the question – are you finishing the year strong or feeling like you are crawling to the finish line?

Or let’s do a quick reframe of the question – do you want to have an amazing 2022 or if you are reading this in the future, do you want to have an amazing next year?

I used to swim as a kid.  When I say swim, I trained 3 times a week and had my first ever coach.

I’ll never forget the wisdom that he taught me. You see I wasn’t and am not your typical swimmer.  I’m only just 5.5. now, and as a kid of about 13, I was 5 ft nothing.

I’m a curvy vixen and have been that way since I hit my teens.

So when I used to go to swimming competitions, when the swimmers are on the blocks, you look up and down to check out who else is competition.   And I didn’t look like competition.

And that’s ok. But I knew.  I knew that the majority of races are won and lost, not at the beginning but at the end.

Why?

Because if you are in the middle swimming lane, you can often only see the person either side of you, and most swimmers will let up before the end of the race.

Most swimmers will win against the other swimmers.

But my coach he told me:

“Swim as though you are only competing against yourself, the only race that you control is the one in your own lane.  You can’t influence what the others do, but you do know if you swam your best and won the race you were having with yourself in your own lane. “

That is powerful right – so much wisdom that comes into business for this one.

But he also told me something else. “Finish your strongest & swim past the end of the pool”.

So what does that mean?

It means not gliding into the end of the pool on a well-timed stroke…. Treat the end of the race like the middle, come in as fast as you can and finish strong.

The brilliant part of this advice was that not only did I win races from the outer lanes, but I also then set myself up for success.

Because the faster your time in the previous race, you increased your chances of success in the next by being in a middle lane.

The learning is if you want to have an amazing next year in 2022 or next race, then finish strong in the one that you are in.

I get it, it can feel easy to:

• Be beaten up by the year
• Feel like you are drowning under editing, or to-dos, or funnels or writing
• See the holidays as a chance to unwind, with “Yay, it's Halloween! Oh look, it's Thanksgiving! Hey, it's Christmas/Hanukkah/Diwali/Kwanzaa”
• And feel like what the heck, new year new you and will start then.

Please don’t be that person… unless you have planned in recurring or payment plan work, in your first quarter that smashes all your targets.

If you need revenue in the first quarter of 2022 then it is GO TIME NOW!

Don’t bring in what I call the Monday effect.

The Monday effect comes from the world of fitness and weight loss, when no matter what day it is people will start AGAIN on Monday.

If you go off plan on Tuesday, instead of getting back on it, you end up saying “Oh I’ll start again on Monday.”

This translates to what we are talking about today but in the New Year effect.

I’m tired.
I’m done and I’ll start again in January.

Today’s blog post isn’t about burnout, and yet let’s take a swing past this topic.

I know you might be feeling like burnout is here or approaching, and you can argue that you need rest right now.

But here is the thing, remember I said that if you still need revenue in the first quarter of 2022?

If you are feeling burned out and really do NEED to bring in revenue in Jan, Feb/ March 2022 your unconscious mind knows that.

It will be causing stress and anxiety.

Even if you take time off to slow down before the end of the year, your unconscious mind still has its foot on the accelerator to work out how to bring that money in.

I see this when clients are trying to recharge and their minds won’t stop, because ultimately they NEED revenue and profit in a shorter timeframe and so they can’t 100% take time off.

Let’s get back to finishing strong after my burnout public service announcement.

What to do first?

The Assist

In basketball, an assist is a pass to a teammate who scores a basket immediately or after one dribble.

How can you do the assist for your clients so that when they are ready to score it is easy?

What do they want from you now to be the assist?

To be clear you aren’t trying to sell them anything, you are looking to serve them with what is going on in their life.

In your industry, with your clients, what is going on for them right now?

What can you help them with, without expectations?

Get them off the bench

Keeping with basketball right now, a benchwarmer is a player who doesn’t play but sits on the sidelines watching the game.

Who are your benchwarmers?

The ones who listen to a podcast such as Wielding Legacy, watch and read what you do, but are yet to get off the bench and get in the game?

How can you help them?  Because the know like and trust is there, but what do they need to finally engage and buy from you?

Take the shot

Is there a client, might be a previous client or a connection that you’d love to work with at the start of 2022?  And more importantly, one where you KNOW that you can add value to what they do?

That you can be in service and help them?

And for a total project price that would be a dream for you?

Think of one person, yes just one – and I’m saying that as it’s common for people to start thinking of 10 – 20 people.

Once you have your one person, take the shot and create a bespoke proposal for them, and then share it with them.

If you do the work now and finish the year strong, especially if you need revenue in the 1^st quatre of 2022, then you will set yourself up for an amazing 2022.

This blog goes out to all those who feel a bit beaten up by this year and feeling disappointed.  Those that in reading the title of this post identify that they are crawling or just looking forward for the year to be done.

I’ve got you and see you friend.

Know that the rest of this year and next has the ability to be all that you dreamed of.

And if you want to set yourself up for an amazing 2022, then finish strong and that momentum will take you forward.

If you are craving or in need to finish the year strong or start 2022 for success I have 2 offerings for you!

Firstly a 90 minute on demand session, for a super boost of top-line strategy for how to kick off your 2022 for success.

Secondly a private accelerator day in person or on Zoom and 30 days of support, including 2 121 sessions.  Dates are available from February onwards.

Come and let me know over on Instagram if you loved today’s episode @laurapaynestanley or any questions about working together.