Prepare Your Harvest Now

I am horrible at taking care of my yard. I am pretty amazing at a lot of things, but creating a fantastic green space is not one of them. I’ve got weeds – multiple brands of them, a jungle-worth of random animals, fungus, dying and diseased trees, and of course a litany of insects.

Hey, wanna come over for an outdoor barbeque? Didn’t think so…

Anyways, I decided that next year is the year that I am going to conquer this thing called having the “perfect lawn”. Due to years of neglect, I have a lot of work to do – especially since we will have 50 people over for a back yard rehearsal dinner next May.

Last week, I spent 2 hours pulling weeds out of my lawn. Not my flower beds – my lawn. The only thing that motivated me to keep going was the fact that if I got all of the weeds now, my task of creating a GREAT lawn next spring would be a lot easier.

Then, I got to thinking about our own entrepreneurial and executive coaching business. The fourth quarter is the best time of the year to begin preparing for next year. Build more strategic relationships NOW that will in turn impact the number of leads that I have for next year. Prepare the 3rd quarter 2010 budget now, so I can sell enough to afford that budget next year. Attend seminars and read books now to shore up any weaknesses that would negatively impact my results next year. Pull my weeds and plant seeds now so I can have a luscious and green lawn next summer.

Don’t get me wrong – finish 2009 STRONG. While you are pounding away at your current goals, begin planning for next year now. Set up systems, relationships, and training that will put you in the best position for 2010. Prepare your 2010 harvest NOW!

Jamar Cobb-Dennard is the Vice-President of Business Development for Reachmore, which provides leadership coaching for small business and executives. Email Jamar at jamar@goreachmore.com for the latest on Reachmore’s newest seminar, Launch.