What an interesting year 2009 was been, huh?! Some of us had a great year, and some of us are ready to forget already. Either way, 2010 is almost here, so what are you going to do about it?

For the past 3 years at Life Stage Films, we have put strict emphasis on knowing exactly what works and what doesn’t work in our business every year before the next year begins. I think it’s so incredibly cleansing to take a retrospective look at your business as the year is about to end. If you don’t, you get stale. You might become irrelevant. Or even worse, you might get “comfortable”. Being comfortable is no place to be for not only a business owner, but a creative artist. But let’s say you do take some time ( just one day) before the busy-ness of the January-March time period of getting as many 2009 edits out the door as you can. If you really care about your business, you’ll enjoy looking back and not only praising yourself for a job well done, but you’ll ask those tough questions that get you moving in the right direction if you weren’t before.

It’s kind of like journaling. It’s fun and incredibly addicting. We enjoy looking back at our success list from a few years ago to see how far we have come. It inspires us to create a plan for the next year that will influence our decisions even more. But it starts with a plan. At the beginning of 2009, and every business quarter there after, our entire staff takes an entire day to come up with our next 90-Day plan. We come up with goals that are hard, but attainable. It keeps our larger goals that we made at the beginning of the year easier to get to. So, back to the bigger picture, I want to help you start 2010 with a bang and inspire you to improve your business and take it to another level. Let’s get started.

*** Before you do this, make yourself a promise to isolate yourself from distractions. Go to a coffee shop, a bookstore, just get away from the office, and from family. The follow exercise shouldn’t take longer than a few hours, but its so important to do it with a clear head, and BEFORE your work gets hectic again for 2010. I always do it the day after New Years.

1. Get a piece of paper, or create a Word document.

2. Answer the following questions.

• What Were My Biggest Challenges/Problems for 2009?
  
• What Were My Top 5 Lessons Learned This Year?
  
• What Were My Top 5 Success Stories This Year? (Brag on yourself, what things were you proud to accomplish in ‘09?)
• What was my favorite project I shot/edited this year, and why?
• What was the biggest thing that moved my business forward in 2009?
  

For 2010

• How much (%) do I want to increase my revenue for 2010?
• What are 10 ways I will be able to attain that goal. Be specific.
  
• What are 3 major things on my perpetual to-do list that I’d like to see accomplished for my business in 2010? (things you never make time to get to, but are important)
  
• What are 5 things I can do for my business in 2010 that will set me more apart from my competition.
  
• What are 5 goals I’d like to see met in December of 2010.
• What are 5 things that I can implement now that will improve my personal life in 2010. (There is a direct correlation to the success of your business)

In the spirit of community and inspiring each other, if you chose to do this important exercise, leave a comment on this post by telling us all your 5 biggest success stories of 2009. It’s ok to brag when someone gives you permission! Cheers to making it through 2009 alive and well. You also got to work in a job that you love. That’s a great thing. Here’s to a successful 2010!

Matt D., Lifestage