Finish Strong
There’s something I REALLY love about sprinting through these last two months of the year.
Maybe it has something to do with my newfound love for running (OK, maybe “love” is a strong word!). More likely I suppose it comes from a BIG desire to finish the year as strong as possible.
You’ve probably heard me talk about the “12/31 Studio” before … it’s the way we describe what we want our business to look like on the last day of the year; it’s a picture we draw of what we want to accomplish. Finishing strong, to me, looks like achieving those goals.
The theme of finishing strong is my new mantra right now. And yes, if you’re wondering, I actually imagine running through a finish line tape on 12/31, just like marathoners do!
So to reach my goals, I’m making a concerted effort to dial in to specific areas of my business. I want to cross the finish line and know I did everything possible to reach my 12/31 goals. My plan is to “power up” each area of these areas, one at a time, to make the next several weeks as productive as possible.
I’m sharing my plans with you in the hopes that you’ll be inspired to create your own series of 12/31 goals that speak to your studio’s needs. If I can do it, you can do it!
Here’s what I’m committing to do:
- Step up our enrollment efforts with special promotions and invitations, so we can positively impact as many young people as possible and charge ahead on our mission to change lives through dance.
- Focus on financial planning, so we can serve our dance families with the very best programs, faculty, staff, and facilities.
- Encourage and empower our studio employees with the tools they need to bring the best version of themselves to the studio, so we can ensure they feel supported and appreciated.
- Re-structure my calendar and re-evaluate my commitments, so I can optimize my work time and maximize my family time.
- Invest in my personal development and that of my studio leadership team, so that our work to “finish strong” can continue throughout all of 2019.
For each of these initiatives, I’ve created specific measurements that will tell me if my team and I are on target or spinning off course. As we inch closer to 12/31, I’ll be able to course-correct and make adjustments where needed.
And so this brings me to three BIG questions: What does winning look like for YOU? Where do you need to focus to finish strong? When you run through the tape at the finish line of 2018, what will you have accomplished?
I challenge you to get specific. Drill down into the details. Decide where you need to move the needle and then TAKE ACTION. I want you to put your head on your pillow each night and know you’ve made progress.
Take the time to draw the picture of your 12/31 studio and see which goals you need to meet to finish strong. Plant your flag in the ground and claim it! You’ve got this.
Love, Misty