Catch up on some related episodes:

How to feel confident in knowing what to focus on to grow your business (Path to Predictable Income Series)
The #1 strategy to ensure you're getting paid each & every month
The one thing holding you back from creating consistent income (Path to Predictable Income Series)

Today’s talking points:

I want you to get crystal clear on exactly how you want 2024 to look and feel for you. It’s only when you have this clarity that you can make the strategic moves to make it happen.

Download The 12 Month Boss Game Plan

All too often I find amazing business owners who are fighting burnout simply because they're spending every moment worrying and thinking about their business.

And with everything we've experienced over the last few years, many of us are starting to feel that burnout. We're starting to feel just this general exhaustion. We haven't had very much fun. It feels like there's always something going wrong in the world, and it starts to really weigh on us.

So I'm here to tell you that no matter what might be happening in the world, we can still intentionally build out our dream life while we are growing our dream business, especially if we just take a moment and get clarity about what we want to be experiencing right now.

In part two of the Your 2024 Gameplan series, we’re continuing to create your 2024 game plan by designing your dream life for 2024.

We're going to life proof your business by getting clear about what you actually want to be doing, feeling, having, and experiencing in 2024.

Let’s dive in.

Don’t miss part one

Now, if you're joining me for part two, welcome back. You should have also by now completed the 2023 year in review exercise from part one, which was last week's episode.

let’s go back to the future

Today we're shifting gears and this is where it gets way more fun and exciting. Now we're dreaming big about your future, where you are doing your business and your life 100% on your terms and aligned with your definition of success.

So, we're getting into our time machine. We’re in the DeLorean from Back to the Future and we are setting the dial one year from today.

Why do I love this exercise so much? This is actually based off Cameron Harrell’ book ‘Double Double’. It's a book that I absolutely love and highly recommend. He talks about doubling your business in three years, but let's focus on one. It feels doable and real. Given the rollercoaster of the past few years, looking a year ahead might seem far, so if needed, focus on six months.

Now, we're in our time machine, flux capacitor firing up, zipping to the future. Pay attention to what's changed in your life and business. What do you want differently in the future? So this exercise is all about getting intentional.

As you create your 2024 painted picture, start where you want to upgrade in life. This is your journaling homework: what needs tweaking, what do you want more or less of? The past years made us scrutinise what works and what doesn't. It's about getting intentional. Imagine following your future self in a day, from wake-up to sleep. Extend that to a whole week, your ideal week. What lifestyle changes or upgrades do you want? How about relationships—with your partner, family, or even personal hobbies for fun? Yes, fun—we all need more of it. Consider upgrades in your health and well-being.

Looking ahead, ask: What lifestyle upgrade do I want? Maybe a new car or paying off debt? In relationships, perhaps a regular date night or a family trip? Think about your health—eating well, getting enough rest. For me, moving into 2024 postpartum, it's about healthy eating, three workouts a week, and hitting my daily steps goal.

Remember, these upgrades don't always need heaps of money; sometimes, it's about intentional time. Dream big but make it manageable, focusing on small, reachable changes for a big impact. And that's the exciting part—envisioning the changes you want to see in your life.

the compound effect

You really just want to be super intentional about what adjustments you need to make. I do feel like it's important to make sure you're thinking about it in a manageable way. As we're just looking one year into the future it's not about massive overhauls of our life, per se, it's usually the small, incremental upgrades, it's the smaller things that we can more easily access.

It's really important to bring this up because sometimes we can dream so big and then feel frustrated that we don't know how to bridge the gap between here and there. So what if we bring it down within reach?

For instance, instead of saying, "I'll get a Lamborghini for a new car," let's break it down. What's essential about a new car for my life? Check if it's realistic within a year. Realistic goals keep us out of debt and feeling like we're always falling short.

The best part about improving these areas of your life? Not all upgrades need tons of money. Many just need your intention and a bit of time. Some don't even take much time; it's as simple as scheduling them in. It's all about the compound effect, small adjustments that can create big, big change. So this is an exciting area to start thinking about in terms of what do you want those changes to look like in your life.

upgrading your life first, then your business

So I now want you to focus particularly on the business upgrades you want to make in the next year.

Now when Cameron Harold talks about this in his book, this is what he's really focusing on but if you know anything about me and my brand, our first value we always share is life before business. I think it's so important to start with your life first, so that your business is supporting your life as you're thinking about upgrading your business next year.

So we've done life, now I want you to think about what types of things will make it easier to run your business next year. What will give you the freedom to work less and operate more in your area of expertise? Perhaps you're considering hiring support—an assistant, a bookkeeper, or marketing support. It could also be investing in new software or a new computer. This might be the year for a website upgrade or a brand overhaul. Maybe you're craving more time on your calendar to kickstart a podcast or launch a new service. So, what significant changes or upgrades are on your mind for your business next year?

The reason we're focusing on both sides—life and business—is simple: we want our businesses to finance our dream lifestyle. Often, business owners overlook the salary they wish to draw from their business. When you don't define that, you're left with just the remnants after paying expenses at the month's end. We're changing that approach, boss. Think about the time, energy, and resources—financially and otherwise—that these changes will require. Then, quantify these upgrades. Some might just require more time, while others may need a financial investment. Take a moment to evaluate each upgrade you desire across your lifestyle, health, relationships, and business, breaking down the resources required for clarity.

Start to figure out what it's going to take for you to make those changes as this will help you start to see how much your business needs to be making top line revenue wise in order to pay you your goal take home salary.

So for me, I am the breadwinner for my family, my husband does work as well, we have two kids and I can tell you that it makes a huge difference knowing that my business can support my family. It can help us to pay our bills, it can help us to save for our future and the future of our children. I don't have to stress about the money because I'm so clear on what it costs for me to live my dream lifestyle. I'm clear about what it costs for me to put more towards my personal finance goals. I know what it's going to cost for me to do the upgrades I want in my personal life. I run the numbers and I keep those numbers into account when looking at how much I want to make next year. That in turn helps me figure out what needs to happen in my business so that I can pay myself my goal salary.

next up in the series

So as you think through this exercise, you are just going to get more and more clarity.

Next week in part 3 of the series, we are going to shift into creating your business by design. So if your business has not already been cutting you that steady paycheck month after month after month, then next week's exercise is going to make a huge difference in helping ensure that your business is actually supporting you financially that we that you deserve to be supported.

Here is last weeks episode, part 1 of the ‘Your 2024 Gameplan’ series, in case you missed it - Ready to create your BOSS 2024 gameplan?