The sky is blue and air is warm, and there’s just a little bit of true summer left to enjoy. Hopefully you’ve had some downtime, while still keeping up with the important marketing and business tasks at hand. But with the slower summer days coming to an end, how can one best prepare for the busy pace that always comes in early September? Here’s our checklist:
1. Make a clean start.
Prepare for a clean start, which means having a clean desk and office. Toss (or at least file or box) all of those loose pieces that are cluttering up your desk. If they indicate important things to do, transfer them to a to-do list. If they are important things to read, create a file for them and make progress reading through them a little bit each day. Decluttering and creating space will help clear your mind as well so that you are ready for new opportunities.
2. Take stock.
From the simple to the complex, take stock. Where are you on supplies? Are you out of envelopes or stationery? Is everyone stocked up on business cards? Where are you in your marketing goals? As we are nearing the end the third quarter, what do you most need to pay attention to? Are your marketing materials and website content current and timely? If you’ve let any of that slide, work on getting it under control now before you are too busy to manage it.
3. Schedule appointments.
Plan and schedule the things you absolutely have to do this Fall, like meetings that have to be scheduled, even doctor’s appointments and workouts that will keep you in top shape. Having these things on the calendar ensures that they will happen when they need to. Putting them off only creates the possibility of having to deal with them at an inopportune time.
4. Get back in the loop.
If you’ve been slacking on networking or keeping in touch with friends and colleagues, get back in the loop. Check your professional association listings for dates, update your linked in profile, schedule events to attend and coffee with those you need to catch up with.
4. Make a list.
Make a list of the other things you want to do in the coming few months. It doesn’t have to be a long list, in fact, it’s better if it’s not overwhelming. It will give you something positive to work towards.
5. Translate your list into steps.
Now take the things on your list and create steps on how you will accomplish each one. Make the steps as specific as you can. Don’t worry about doing any of them for now, just write down the steps each will require.
6. Take action on one thing.
With your list and steps in hand, take action on one of the items. Just one. Overdoing can sap your motivation, so take it one action at at time. Accomplishing one really will fuel the accomplishment of the next.
7. Create anticipation.
If you have large tasks that are daunting, schedule them first — don’t do them. It may feel like avoidance, but it isn’t if you create a start date and plan for it. By creating a start date, you create anticipation and build the expectation for getting it done — this will help fuel your energy to accomplish it. Often, these tasks are ones you can’t write steps for because you’re not sure what the steps even are. So, write what steps you can think of and see if it spawns other ideas for other steps. If not, set it aside. By the time your start date comes, the anticipation will have fueled your energy to find a solution.
Just like a new school year, Fall is a fresh start. Enjoy the transition time and be easy with yourself as we approach Labor Day. But start doing a little bit each day, and you’ll be well on your way to a productive and rewarding Fall.
— Wendy Baird, principal and president
