This is the time of year where everyone and their mama is talking about planning. And that’s a good thing, right?

Well. Kinda.

There’s a million ways to plan – but planning soulfully isn’t always talked about. (You know how I feel about soulful strategy!)

So, where do you start in planning out your biz for the New Year? Here’s how to plan your business’s year in four ease filled, soulful steps.

1.Tap into the old year.

I know – it sounds contradictory. But sometimes one of the keys to manifestation is knowing what you DON’T want. So: what did 2016 feel like to you? What was really awesome? What was…not so awesome?

To know what you want to create in your biz, you have to know what you don’t want to create as well.

What did the energy of your business feel like you? Did you feel like you were attuned to it – or like you were fighting it the whole time? Serious question.

So: 2016 was the year of dual businesses for me – and technically, three.

My corporate business feels like a waterfall off the side of a mountain – It’s not always pure bliss, but clients flow in as I want them and I don’t have to do anything besides do the internal work. The old biz…felt a lot like that feeling when you’re SO tired that you get amped up and you have to do all the things and you don’t want to stop because then you know you’ll crash. Yeah, not the ideal feeling.

Starlit Strategies feels like flow, ease, and growth. I’m super aware that I have to step up immensely to match the energy of it – and I’m okay with it. It’s time for me to shine.

If you get stuck here, think about:

How would you describe how your business made you feel this year in three words?

Obviously, I’m not talking about just feelings – we can take it past that!

• Who was your favorite client – why?
• Who was your least favorite client – why?
• How did each of those find you?
• What can you do to attract more of your Awesome Annas and fewer of those Bummer Babs?
• What package/service/product brought you the most income?
• What package/service/product brought you the most profits? (Sorry loves, those aren’t the same things!)

2. Set Your Intentions

By now you should have some idea what you DON’T want to create….so what DO you want to create?

That’s an open-ended question, so before you feel like you have to be 100% aware of every single intention for your year, let’s keep it simple.

• How do you want to feel about your business in 2017?
• How much do you want to earn?
• What are the top 3-4 goals you want to achieve? – These could be anything from launch a course, to learn how to create FB ads, to join a mastermind, to grow your mailing list to X number. These are your goals and you have the right to determine what they should be, outside the space of other people’s goals and ambitions.

You can even decide to go further and set your intentions + goals for each quarter – or each month. (I do both!)

3. Map Your Profits

Great, you just figured out what you want to earn for the year – but do you know how you’re getting there? This step is crucial –  both for manifestation, and for actively working towards your goals.

How many of each of your packages do you need to sell to meet your financial intention?

Is that number even possible? This is where you dig deep  – how many of each package can you energetically sustain? How many can you sell?

Will you make your financial goal at that number? If not, that’s a cue that you may need to adjust your packages.

If you can…on to the next step! Divvying those numbers up by month. Chances are, this isn’t an even divide. There are months where you make more sales than others naturally. There are months when you’ll have sales on particular packages.

Think about your clients. (I know, I know – I say that a lot!) What are their needs going to be?

If you’re a copywriter – when are they most looking to refresh content? When are big booms in sales pages to be expected?

If you’re a coach – when are your clients looking to change themselves the most? When are they looking for masterminds for support?

Maybe you’re a tarot reader  – this still applies to you, love! What times of the year are your clients looking for answers about their love life? Their business? Overcoming their burdens and challenges?

Questions to consider:

• When are your high sales months?
• When are your low sales months?
• What months will you be honoring sales – and on what packages for what price?
• What do your clients NEED each month? What packages should you focus on to benefit them the most?

4. Create soulful – and smart – strategy.

You know your goals.

You know your clients’ needs for each month.

You know how those two combine.

The next question to ask yourself:

What 3 things can I do this month to support my goals?

It’s SO easy to give yourself too many things to do – this is often one of the top problems my clients discover they have. Instead stick to 3-4 main focuses that will support your goal. If it isn’t going to help you reach your goals, don’t do it. (This doesn’t mean you can leave out all your client connection stuff like emails, social, or blogging. Whatever you find to be the best way to connect with your clients stays – as long as you’re enjoying it.)

Hint: while you’re planning ahead, this is a fabulous time to add blog and newsletter topics that fit your monthly theme. Let it all flow together. You can plan it all out, while still letting it all feel like it’s part of your natural process. (And you can always switch it up if something else comes around – this is just the foundation for the year, after all.)

[clickToTweet tweet=”Soulful strategy doesn’t leave Spirit out. ” quote=”Soulful strategy doesn’t leave Spirit out. “]

What do you need spiritually each month? Is it a high sales month – you’re going to want to reconnect with Spirit and pen in some self-care time.

What rituals and strategies can you include for manifesting your goals?

Are there astrological times that affect your work? To no surprise to anyone ever, I have retrogrades marked in red on my 2017 planning board. (I use Trello to map out my year.)

As you start planning, you’ll find more ways – individual to you – that you want to include Soul in your Strategy. Trust your intuition.

Don’t want to do it alone? That’s okay too! If you want to work 1:1 on crafting the vision for your perfect 2017, let’s Map Your Magic! ✨ We’ll create your monthly + quarterly goals, and map out the most important things to do each month to achieve them.