It’s mid-February. Do you know where your resolutions are?

Yep, THOSE resolutions. The ones you made so earnestly on January 1st. The ones you swore were going to change 2010. The ones that would electrify your marketing and make your cash flow!

The ones that are getting put on the backburner again and again and again and…

Okay, it’s time to ‘fess up. If you’re human, you probably have reverted to your old ways on some level.  Maybe you had the best of intentions, but somewhere you got sidetracked.  It’s not uncommon. After all, it’s tough to turn the Titanic around when it’s barreling along at a comfortable clip. HOWEVER, you don’t want to make the mistake of not steering it away from the iceberg until it’s too late!

If you’ve allowed your excitement for your business resolutions to wane, don’t penalize yourself further by glumly saying: “I blew it. Better try again next year.” Instead, dust yourself off and start holding yourself accountable… better yet, hire a coach to help you stick with the plans you know are going to make the difference between having a so-so year and having a spectacular one!

It’s time for round two of those 2010 resolutions…  You have ten-and-a-half more months… get that virtual “cash register” ringing!

On Sunday, it will be November 1st.  That means the end of the year is closing in.  So how will you spend those final two months making sure your business is ready when 2010 makes its appearance?

I’ve spoken with a lot of entrepreneurs who have basically told me (implicitly or explicitly) that they are planning for a slow November and December, so they expect to be in a kind of hibernation mode.  But when January 1st rolls around, they assure me that they’ll be ready to go.

With all due respect, this type of laid-back, “nothing I can do about it” attitude isn’t going to fly in today’s competitive marketplace. 

My suggestion?  That you spend your final weeks of 2009 doing aggressive planning and preparing.  And the best way to do that is to start right away.  Don’t wait.  After all, you don’t really have two whole months, do you? 

If you were to break down the days you would realistically work in November and December, you’d discover that there are far fewer than you might assume at first glance.  Check it out:

November + December = 61 days to plan for 2010

Minus number of 2-day weekends (8 weekends, 16 days total) = 45 days to plan

Minus holidays - Thanksgiving, day-after-Thanksgiving, Christmas, Christmas Eve (4) = 41 days to plan

Minus unexpected days off (2) = 39 days to plan

So you really don’t have 61 days to get ready for 2010.  You have 39.  And that changes things, doesn’t it?  If you want to work with a professional to gear up for the new year (e.g., an accountant, business coach, banker), you’d better get on their calendars lickity split.  After all, they’re working within the same 39-day time constraint that you are.

So… what will you do with your next two months?  Will they be a time you look back upon with pride or with regret?

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I’m starting a new series called “Ask Julie!”  If you have a question regarding business coaching, entrepreneurship or marketing, please write it in the comments section.  I’ll answer questions one at a time in later posts!

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