All your hard work this year has gotten you … where?

Have you accomplished what you expected? Do you remember what you expected to accomplish?

This is a perfect time of year to stop what you’re doing, and schedule some time to reflect on the state of your business.

Stop being a busy bee

As a small business owner, your long days and hard work may be obscuring the ‘big picture,’ the long-term vision you have for your business. When you spend every day with your nose to the grindstone, it’s hard to see what’s going on around you.

Look up from your work

Here’s what I recommend:

Schedule some thinking time this week. Grab a pencil, paper and your favorite beverage, and plan what you’d like to accomplish in the second half of the year.

Ask yourself these questions:

1. What were my 2011 goals? What did I plan to accomplish this year? (If you didn’t start the year with goals in mind, this is a great time to set them).

2. Have my actions over the first half of 2011 moved me closer to accomplishing my goals?

• If you answered “yes” to the question above, what can you do in the second half of 2011 that will continue to move you toward your goals?
• If you answered “no” to the question above, what can you do to correct your course, and get your business back on track?
• If your goals have changed (and that’s a perfectly acceptable answer), what can you do to move your business toward your new goals?

3. What does my ‘big picture’ look like now? What has developed over the first six months of the year that changes your long-term vision for your business?

Take your nose off the grindstone

If you never stop to re-evaluate your long-term vision and short-term goals, you won’t know if your hard work is actually taking you where you want to go.

Take some time in the week ahead to review the first half of this year. Make fresh plans for the second half. I’ll be working on it with you. 🙂

How about you? Has the first half of 2011 brought changes to your business? Will you make adjustments in the months ahead? Tell me about it in the comments.