Have you taken the time to plan for the new year?

I used to be a ‘fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants’ kind of girl. But when things started slipping through the cracks, I realized I needed better planning skills.

A recent article in the Associated Press reminded me how essential it is to plan for your business. And although this article focused on the financial aspects of planning, I think it’s important to take a wide view, and plan for everything.

So each year around this time, I write out my plan for the year, then break it done into specific goals and objectives. I also re-evaluate all my business relationships.

Once the plan is completed, do I deviate from it and go back to my ‘flying’ days. Occasionally, but I actually check in on the plan every month or so to make sure I am still on course.

How about you? Do you plan each year? Do you follow it?