The 4th quarter is here whether you’re ready or not! And it’s easy at this point to feel like what’s done is done and there isn’t much you can do about it. But that’s not true. With an entire quarter left to go there is a lot that can still be accomplished. Here are some tips that can help.
1. Don’t get complacent
Growing up in Michigan, I’ve watched a lot of Lions football games. And here is something that you know if you’ve ever watched the Lions—they lose a lot. Sometimes they just flat out lose throughout the entire game. But there have been plenty of times when they are winning for the entire first 3 quarters of the game but you can’t just count on them to just finish it. I can’t even tell you how many times we’ve thought they were going to win and they still managed to lose.
Now it becomes somewhat comical when you’re just watching a football game on television for fun. But it’s another thing when it’s happening to you.
Maybe 2021 has been a great year for your business. Maybe you’ve been doing good at hitting your milestones along the way. That’s awesome, but don’t let it make you become complacent for the end of the year. Stay focused and continue to move forward.
2. Make adjustments if you need to
The world didn’t bounce back in 2021 exactly the way we all hoped it would have. Some industries have done really well and others have struggled. If you’re looking over your metrics and you know there is no way you can hit the goals that were set for the quarter and year, make adjustments.
It’s OK to lower the bar if you need to. Leaving the goals where they are when you know they can’t be hit is discouraging and unmotivating for you and your team. Instead, make the necessary adjustments and then work hard to hit the new goal. This doesn’t mean you set a goal that’s easy to hit. You still want it to stretch you and your company, but it should be something that’s within reach.
3. Look at your metrics
Don’t bury your head in the sand. You can celebrate or realign something that you’re ignoring. You should have a plan in place for keeping your eye on the progress you’re making toward your goals. The SPEARity app has this process built right into the technology to make it easier than ever for you to know where you stand.
If you don’t know exactly where you stand, find out.
4. Build downtime into your schedule
After another year full of stress and uncertainty, you may be feeling it mentally and emotionally. It’s important to build some downtime or rest time into your schedule. Yes, we all want to finish strong but more importantly, we all want to finish healthy.
Encourage your team to use their vacation days. I know this can be stressful to accommodate, but having employees that are burnt out is bad for everyone. Schedule time on your calendar for self-care activities. Make time for your family and friends. Make time to exercise and eat healthily. We all want to achieve our goals, but not at the expense of living healthy.
Keep in mind that the holidays are going to arrive faster than we think. Be prepared.
5. Learn to realign early and often
Checking where you stand on your progress once a quarter or once a month makes it hard to pivot and adjust as needed. This should be a daily habit that you develop. It’s part of the SPEAR process. Each day you should be identifying the areas that you succeeded in and the areas that you need to realign. This helps you to make important adjustments in the moment instead of waiting to look back on it weeks later.
This process also helps you to keep your motivation as you see the areas that are going well each day and where you are making progress on your goals. In addition, it helps you assure that you are working on the priority tasks that move you closer to your goals.
Want accountability and guidance to finish strong?
Our Milwaukee-based business coaches love working with leaders and business teams to help them overcome obstacles and achieve their goals. Through a combination of coaching, training, and tech solutions, they bring growth to a new level. Contact us today to explore your options.
