Setting your intentions when 2021 is so unclear

Dare we declare: What happens in 2020, stays in 2020. Unfortunately for us, that does not include Madame C. O. Rona. Clutch your pearls ladies and gents because the coronavirus is coming with us. And in the World of Hype, she’s more than lived up to it.

It’s our divine right to set intentions for a fresh new year, whether that is declaring resolutions, creating vision boards to maintain the vision, creating new goals, or just making up our minds to do something. And although the Great Toilet Paper Shortage of 2020 has made us question otherwise the wisdom of planning anything in 2021 beyond stockpiling paper products and cleaners; for those of us with the entrepreneurial spirit, we can’t not plan in 2021. Let’s call it DNA.

And for serial planners like us, it’s about achieving those goals we set. So to uphold our individual constitutions and divinities, while also considering the very real consequences of this pandemic, I suggest planning with a built-in parachute. What do I mean by this?

The Plan

This is your usual planning with a new clause. It includes what you want to accomplish in 2021: goals, desires, and the best course of action for achieving those goals. Set realistic goals. Ambition is great, but delusion is not good for business plans. In your plan, consider the very real limitations of the coronavirus.

Still with me?

The Parachute

This aspect of planning is all about the what-ifs. What if you get COVID-19 and have to shut down your business operations for one week? One month or more? How will you notify clients? Who will notify them if you are hospitalized or taking care of a loved one? Do you have a stock/standard message to send? [Don’t have one? Pretty Docs can help.]

What will you communicate to clients regarding the status of their projects? Resuming work after the fact? What if one of your employees gets COVID-19? How will it affect the workload, productivity, and meeting deadlines? Do you have adequate workers’ compensation coverage for employees?

Do you have a company on speed dial that can perform a deep cleaning of your business? Is there a colleague who can step in and deliver the product or services to your clients? Should you add a COVID-19 clause in your contracts? What if the client gets COVID-19, is severely impacted, and can’t pay you on time? Or ever? Will you write off their death or sue their estate? These are very real questions that may seem harsh but should be addressed. Account for all of this in your Parachute Plan. Even if you cannot answer all the questions initially, write them down.

The Descent

What can you do to soften the potential fall in 2021? Address all possibilities here. When do you call it quits on a project? What if the closures last all the way through 2021, how will you adjust your business? Will this shut your business down? Do you have a rainy day fund or reserve income to pay your employees? Your vendors? What can you do for your clients, colleagues, and business if this happens? Plan for every impossibility in 2021. This careful planning will go a very long way in preparing for any outcome. If we can’t prevent the fall, at least we can slow the descent, and soften the drop.

Happy New Year!