Hey there, and welcome back to the Fun Business Fun Money podcast! I’m your host, Deirdre Amies.

 

If you’re listening in real time, HOW on earth is it the first week of December already?? This year has absolutely flown by, and I also can’t believe we’re at episode 99! OMG!

 

I’ve got something insightful coming up for episode 100, but first we’ve got some really important stuff to cover right here for episode 99.

 

It’s goal setting season!

December is goals season – what are you going to do over the next 12 months in terms of your health, wealth, lifestyle, environment, all those things.

 

Of course we’re focused on business and money goals around here, but lets not forget the all important FUN factor in any goal you set.

 

Last week’s coaching episode was a doozy, number 97 was all about choosing a Word of the Year as a prelude to your actual goals. If you’ve not listened to that one yet its definitely worth your time. Not that I’m biased or anything!

 

This week we’re coming in hot with another angle on the pre-goals process from another angle – your INTENTIONS.

 

What is an intention?

An intention is a plan to do something. Its not the plan itself, we’re not at that point yet. Its the thought, the urge or intuitive nudge of an idea that could be something fun, awesome, life changing – if it pans out.

 

This intention setting process is yet another tool I’ve used for at least the last 5 years or so.

 

Its a great way to reflect on the year you’ve just had, and to see how you want to do things differently going forward. Or keep do the same thing if its worked perfectly so far, don’t break what’s not broken!

 

There are 3 parts to setting your intentions for your best year yet…

1. Reflect and review the year you’ve just had – I know we’re not quite at the end of December yet but I want to bring this to your attention to PREPARE you for this process.

2. Draw a line in the sand

3. Make a new choice for the future

 

Get your free worksheet!

The good news is I’ve created a free worksheet to help you with this exercise! It’s got a whole bunch of questions and space for you to jot down your thoughts and insights. You can download your copy at www.poweredbypersonality.com/intention

You’ll find the link in the description and in the show notes as always.

 

Let’s go through these 3 parts to setting your intentions to make 2024 your best year yet, shall we? This may be a slightly longer episode than you’re used to but totally worth it with all these questions!

 

1 – REFLECT AND REVIEW THE YEAR YOU’VE JUST HAD

If you’re listening in real time we’re talking about 2023. You don’t have to wait to the end of a year to do this exercise though, its a really good way to refocus and realign yourself any time you want a reset.

That was a lot of re- words wasn’t it? Refocus, realign, reset… even reflect and review! Ha! All the re words! Lets focus on 2023 though!

 

1. Who were you on 1st January 2023 as a person? Who were you as a business owner?

Pretty simple really – think back to when you woke up on 1st January 2023. What was your situation?

Think about it in terms of your relationships, your living situation, your financial situation, your growth and development, your goals and desires. Who WERE you back then?

And lets not forget your business of course…

• What kind of business owner or entrepreneur were you back then on 1st January 2023?
• What goals and dreams did you have?
• What did you want to achieve?
• What did you need to learn in the year ahead?

 

2. What were your 3 biggest accomplishments in 2023? Why those?

What did you ACTUALLY achieve?

I don’t say that to put you on the spot and make you feel uncomfortable, especially if you feel like you didn’t achieve anything. I just mean its important to acknowledge what you created, achieved, accomplished this year.

 

TAP IT OUT

If this one DOES feel a bit uncomfortable, maybe because you realise you’re still in the same spot you were a year ago, thats ok. Just acknowledge THAT. I highly recommend doing some tapping, or EFT, on that discomfort, just start tapping through the points and say how you feel.

If you’re not familiar with tapping you’ll find a more detailed explanation of it and how it can be used in episode 24, “How to release negative energy and turn your day around”.

 

There are countless videos on YouTube showing you how to do it, and my favourite tapper, Brad Yates, probably has a video for EXACTLY your specific thoughts and feelings.

You’ll find the links to that episode AND to Brad Yates on YouTube in the show notes.

 

What ARE your 3 biggest accomplishments? This could be personal or business, money, lifestyle, theres no rules on this! They’re important to YOU, and you should absolutely feel proud of them!

 

Side note, if you’ve not acknowledged those accomplishments and actually CELEBRATED them in some way yet, make a commitment to do so and reward yourself in the next 24 hours. It doesn’t have to cost money, just do something that feels good to you and appreciate what you achieved this year so far.

 

3. What was the HARDEST thing you had to overcome in 2023? What did you learn from it?

This is a BIG one. We can all do hard things, although I much prefer the easiest path to achieving goals!

 

I can tell you the hardest thing I dealt with overcoming the need to show up on social media all the time. I didn’t announce that I was taking a break or making changes, nothing like that, I simply gave myself permission to not do it, to let go of the need to show up and be seen by everyone all the time.

 

Lessons learnt…

The lessons I learnt from it were how peaceful it is on your birthday when you’re not feeling the need to respond to all the posts and messages from people you’ll never otherwise interact with. I mostly got to do what I wanted that day, not what everyone else expected, which was LOVELY!

 

I also learnt the longevity of content varies a LOT on different platforms, so choose wisely. I have so many people telling me I ‘have’ to be on TikTok. But the data doesn’t lie, and unless your video goes viral it has a life of ZERO seconds on that particular platform. ZERO!

 

I can’t imagine spending hours each week creating short form video content that is technically dead before you’ve even shared it! Thats not my idea of fun AT ALL lol!

 

A better option, just a suggestion, would be to post that video on Pinterest and link it to a longer blog post about the same topic. Pinterest content tends to have a much longer shelf life of up to 4 months.

 

I talked about this in a bit more detail in episode 91, “Unlock your time with CORE content”, the power of creating something once and repurposing it everywhere!

 

Thats MY lessons learnt, and I think they’re quite valuable ones. What was YOUR hardest thing, and what did you learn?

 

I’d LOVE to hear from you, send me a DM and tell me about it!

I’m @funbusinessfunmoney, all one word, on both Facebook and Instagram.

Or connect with me on LinkedIn and DM me there, just search for Deirdre Amies. Tell me you’re a podcast listener as well, thats a surefire way to get accepted right away!

 

Pareto’s Law: the 80/20 Rule

4. The last question in the reflect and review part is a multi-part one around the 80/20 rule.

Thats the simple name for Pareto’s law, which says that in any situation, 20% of your effort produces 80% of your results.

 

4.1 What were the 20% of activities that produced 80% of your results… and your happiness?

If it doesn’t make you happy, why are you doing it??

You should be able to pinpoint these fairly easily. If you can’t, I have ANOTHER free download to help you with this – my START STOP CONTINUE guide.

Its a checklist focused on various activities and areas of your life and business. It’ll help you see whether it adds value, makes money or creates fun for you. Its so much easier to decide what you want to start doing, stop doing or continue doing when you look at each thing from a place of value, money and fun.

Simplify your business and life, gently enforce clear boundaries, and I guarantee your 2024 will be amazing by comparison.

 

4.2 Who were the 20% of people who produced 80% of your results? (and happiness!)

Where did the results, money, fun, and all the good stuff come from? You probably have a very specific group of people, a type of client or customer that loves your stuff AND you. Who are they? Those are the people to tailor your marketing to even more in 2024.

If it was more on a personal level, how can you spend more time with those people? Get the good vibes flowing and watch everything else around you change through the ripple effect.

 

4.3 What were the 20% of habits that led to 80% of your success?

Ugh, those damn habits again! They don’t have to be atomic ones, although James Clear is not wrong at all about simple habits having a massive impact over time.

What are you doing on the regular that leads to success? I love systems, which is exactly what a habit is. Routines, processes, client journey, everything is a system. Take note of the things you’re doing that generate results, and do more of THAT.

Posting on a particular platform and getting new clients? Cool! Keep that shizz up.

If you’re sending regular emails and getting clicks, enquiries and sales? Cool! Keep THAT shizz up.

The habit of consistency will never steer you wrong when you focus on the things that are working for you.

 

4.4 What were the 20% of your activities in 2023 that created 80% of your problems and unhappiness?

Yep, we’re going there too. These are the things you need to take a hard look at and decide if you’re going to tolerate this any more.

Some may be things you absolutely detest doing but they’re still essential, like paying your taxes. One of your goals for 2024 should be finding ways to streamline your financial processes, outsource to a bookkeeper, shift your mindset around money, and perspective around paying taxes from negative to positive.

 

So theres the reflection and review of the year that’s been. How was it for you? Are you where you thought you’d be by now?

 

I’m not! As I mentioned in the Word of the Year episode, in 2021 my word was THRIVE. It didn’t turn out how I imagined AT ALL.

 But when I reflected on it I was able to see how that was a year of laying foundations for a massive change in physical environment, new growth in my business, letting go of old ways of doing things. It was setting me up to thrive!

Just remember everything you’ve done through 2023 has been for a reason. My year has been focused on FREEDOM, more on a personal level than anything else. Again, laying a foundation for the year ahead in business.

 

PART 2 – DRAW A LINE IN THE SAND

Now we need to draw a line in the sand, which is part 2 of setting your intentions. And of course I’ve got more QUESTIONS for you!

 

1. What is your zone of genius?

If you’re familiar with Gay Hendricks’ book “The Big Leap” you’ll know all about your zone of genius. Thats the thing you’re best at, you find it so fascinating and motivating that it feels almost effortless. I talked about this in episode 52, “Get your business in the right zone”

Were you operating in your zone of genius in 2023? Or were you being pulled in all directions?

If you’re a team of one in your business of course you’re going to be responsible for everyone and everything. It may be that you need to outsource some things in 2024 so you CAN focus more on your zone of genius, or at least contract out a particular project to someone more skilled than you.

IF you’re a coach like me but you don’t like writing copy? Then pay a copywriter to upgrade your website copy.

If you’re a copywriter and you really dislike crunching numbers? Outsource that to someone who does.

Draw a line in the sand so you’re spending more time in your zone of genius in 2024.

 

2. What’s missing from your life and/or business? And how have you been KEEPING IT OUT in 2023?

Ugh, another uncomfortable one! I can tell you I’m missing more connection in both my life and business. I’m an introvert by nature, and the last few years through the pandemic have only amplified those traits.

I ADORE alone time, but I’m very aware that I also crave more connection. I adore being around my family but theres probably more people I could hang out with in person too!

I ventured out to an in person conference during 2023, it was exhausting and overwhelming on so many levels… but it was also AWESOME!

I want to do more peopling in 2024, so finding a balance on the energetic front will definitely continue to be a major focus for me. How about you? What are you keeping out?

 

3. What are you tolerating? What will you say NO MORE to?

Another one I’ve covered in more detail on a previous episode, this is literally a line in the sand question.

And side note, if there’s a low vibe activity, person or habit in your life that feels less than a 7 out of 10, where 10 is awesome and 1 is meh? You’re probably tolerating it! It should be an 8 or more!

Raise your standards, draw that line in the sand and say NO MORE to low vibe things. Again, that START STOP CONTINUE guide will help you identify what you’re tolerating.

 

4. What will you say YES to more often?

I remember a few years back a popular thing to do was a ‘year of yes’. As an introvert with only so much social energy, that exercise quickly became a hell no for me lol!

But there are still things you and I can say YES to more often.

For me thats things like guest speaking on podcasts and virtual summits.

Yes to more CORE content – create once, repurpose everywhere.

Yes to more balance between work and play. We don’t want to burn out in 2024!

What will YOU say yes to more often in 2024? Draw that line the sand and make it happen!

 

PART 3 – MAKE A NEW CHOICE FOR THE FUTURE

Ok we’re on the home stretch now, part 3 of setting your intentions for 2024!

 

1. How do you want to feel on a daily basis that will make 2024 your best year yet?

It doesn’t have to be your best year EVER, just the best one so far. How do you want to feel as you go about each day in the year ahead?

Happy, free, joyful, peaceful, grateful, abundant, satisfied, wealthy, healthy, wise from all the stuff you’re going learn in 2024.

Whatever feels good to you is perfect. Grab that feeling, write it down and remind yourself of it at the end of each day – did I feel X today?

 

2. Who do you want to be in 3 years time, on 1st January 2027?

Yep, we’re fast forwarding to the future! 3 years isn’t a long time, but its certainly ENOUGH time to make major changes in your life and business.

And again an expansion question on this:

If you knew you could only get 3 things done in the next 3 years that would give you a huge sense of achievement, what would you do?

They don’t have to be massive things. They can be personal, business, financial, anything at all. These are 3 long term goals that you want to be, do or have in the next 3 years.

 

3. Still looking 3 years ahead… if you’re disappointed with your results, why will that be?

On the 1st of January 2027, if you’re disappointed by your results, why will that be?

Let’s be honest, we always know in advance, in some way, why we’ll fail at something. What can you do from this moment forward to ensure that you’re happy with your results?

Maybe you need to get serious about your business, stop faffing about with things that don’t matter. Let go of feeling busy and start feeling productive.

Maybe you need to talk to a business coach, take a course, join a mastermind, build a solid foundation for you to grow your legacy upon.

Whatever it is, if you get focused on the things that move the needle in your life, business and money? You won’t even recognise yourself in 3 years time.

In fact, I’m going to challenge you to look back on what you write from this exercise come 1st January 2027 and reflect on everything thats happened in those 3 years.

 

Make 2024 your best year yet

That’s what I’ve got for you today! Some simple reflective questions to help you set your intentions – and then your goals – for 2024. 

Obviously we haven’t even TALKED about setting the goals themselves, but just like the Word of the Year strategy, this is laying the foundations to help you see those practical and achievable goals so much clearer and easier.

You can take simple actions and create new habits when you better understand where you are now and where you want to be.

 

Don’t forget to download the Intentions worksheet to help you with this exercise. Its a Google Doc so its got ALL the questions and space for you to fill it in on your screen.

 

I’d love to hear what you get from this, send me a DM and tell me about it!

I’m @funbusinessfunmoney, all one word, on both Facebook and Instagram.

Or connect with me on LinkedIn and DM me there, just search for Deirdre Amies or click the link in the description.

 

What are you going to achieve in the year ahead? Be intentional about it.

Take care, have fun as you lead into your best year yet, and I’ll catch you in the next episode.