If you’re anything like me in the early years of my first businesses, “planning” for a year started during the holiday break. December 26-31 was my time. And I was always annoyed I didn’t start sooner.

I was also annoyed that my plans from last year didn’t happen. Or the year before.

I tried so many things. Detailed OKRs, complex industry analysis, SWOT tables, frameworks, templates, Scott Galloway courses… I was so frustrated. I led strategic planning efforts for a $100m company. I was a strategy CONSULTANT ffs.

Then I saw how effective businesses my size were actually doing it. And I was so angry.

It was so simple. And simple got done. And getting things done, got results.

And it started now. In October.

So get out a yellow notebook, or put up one of those giant sticky pages on the wall.

We’re going to go through the very simple and exact process I’ve been using the last few years that launched us past 7-figures and has us setting new all time high’s most months.

I promise it’s easy. Just follow the steps.

Step 1: an honest assessment of the current state

What’s working now?

What isn’t working?

What isn’t quite there yet… but we don’t know yet?

There’s a difference between thinking you know these answers, and looking at the actual answers. They may be exactly as you expected. They may be a surprise. But it all starts with an honest look at the current state of things.

Are there things you’re trying to will into success… but just aren’t happening? Are there ideas that were afterthoughts actually carrying all the weight? Or are there things you’ve “done” and feel they didn’t work but really they just haven’t had enough time?

Our brains remember things that were big wins and big losses, the spikes in emotion impress a memory and it can become a larger data point than it actually is. Often the stuff really driving what’s working are the boring behind the scenes things that only the numbers show.

So we start with a open mind; clean, accurate data; and questions.

As you can see it doesn’t have to be intense or technical or complicated. The main thing is you can clearly tell a story with data around these questions.

Step 2: visualize the scenario where you are living with these results

Remember those trailers? Those were the best.

The next step is to think about where you want to be at the end of the year - whatever that looks like, however you define it - and ask: “what is true about that world where this happens?”

Visualize what your day looks like, what the team looks like, what people say about your products, what gets done in any given day or week.

Some of this, the picture is enough. Other points we should put data to it. And it probably should align with the above items. So if you come up with a definition of success in this exercise you didn’t measure the current state on, go back and do so.

But by the end we need to have a few “drivers” of what make this future state real.

Whatever it is. But we need something specific to anchor to.

You can see where this is going.

Step 3: identify the gaps, brainstorm things you can do (in a year) to close them

We need to close the gap between that future state and our present day.

We have to hire ___ people.

We need to raise the price per sale to $___.

We need to get ___ new customers per month.

Now some places you’ll know exactly how to move that number. Others you won’t. You probably know you have to add 12 new clients, that’s not the hard part.

For those we need to come up with ideas for things to try. And then we try them, we iterate, we improve, we move on from.

Brainstorm out the things you believe will actually move the needle.

Can be as long and wide ranging as you like. The exercise is you have metrics that represent your future state, your current state, and a list of actions to take to close the gap.

Step 4: skinny that list down to the highest impact few

Most common mistake to strategic planning is a complicated plan that addresses every inch of opportunity and risk with clever, game-changing solutions that would wow any board.

You’re not going to ever get that done.

The pro move?

You have three things. Tops.

It’s not a clever idea that gets things across the line. It’s usually just a relentless attack on a single focus that does it.

So we’re defining those few priorities and pinning them as the north star for your year.

You are going to attack a couple of things with everything you have until it’s done, it fails, or it’s into a routine that will continue on, it’s success still TBD.

Big years aren’t successful because you launched 19 things or “are working on” 10 priorities that will be game changing. If I look back to most of the big years I have had, or those of my clients, we usually can tell the story with: “that’s the year we did ___ and ____.”

Figure out what the narrative for your year is going to be BEFORE and drive it into existence.

Step 5: create time in your weeks dedicated to making progress on these

Plans are great. Achievements are better. The results are what matters here and that’s execution. We’re only talking about planning here but there’s one more plan that can set up you up for success.

Remember our exercise of imagining that day in the future where these goals exist?

If you look closely you probably see you’re doing three things every week:

Dedicate time to those strategic priorities - enough that they’ll get done, not too much that it’s entirely unrealistic you’ll actually have that time.

Something like:

Or maybe:

Calendar block, set aside days, take breaks between client engagements, whatever works for you but there needs to be space set aside and a plan for the work to happen.

Here’s one bonus tip. Track your time across categories. Client billables or working on product development, sales calls, team meetings, whatever. Look at where you spend your time each month, maybe even each week, and ask if your time lines up with that simple plan you made.

And remind yourself over and over, that the business you want, that ideal state you plan to be at, it exists on the other end of THESE things. Don’t let other stuff distract you.

If you’d like help, or the end of 2025 is looking so busy you’re not sure when you could get to this, reach out and let us help.

We have 6 week sprints where we’ll pull the numbers for you, facilitate the brainstorming, and even model out ideas you have to help prioritize.

It’s our Q4 Strategic Planning Sprint and we only offer it - you guessed it - in Q4.

It’s $5000 and we’ll deep dive the business to give you clear direction for your 2026 priorities.

And we’re making it just a little more interesting this year.

If you book a Sprint before November 5, we’ll let you split it with a friend.

Bring a friend or two or three and we’ll facilitate a group project with all of you where you hold yourself accountable and save some money.

Reach out about a Sprint to end 2025 and set yourself up for a huge 2026.

Appreciate you reading this. If you could. Do me one favor. I write these for free. I make no money off them. No advertising, I don’t sell your data, I don’t monetize this at all.

I make money when you share it and people become clients. So if you like this, and you want to support it, just send it to a friend who might benefit.

Thanks,

Chase “IN A WORLD… ONE MAN…” Spenst