It's undeniably autumn, and therefore budget season--a time to reflect, refresh, and refocus, as we look ahead to 2018. Over the next few months, we'll share a few simple tools to help guide you through this process.

When planning, it's helpful to spend some time thinking about the big picture. Once you have a few high level goals for 2018, you can develop a marketing plan and annual work plan that will help you reach them, and a budget that will support your work. 

Goal Setting
Use the month of October to set goals using these four simple steps from Alyssa Gregory at The Balance:

1. Schedule a Few Minutes of Focused Time--away from work and other distractions. Take yourself out for coffee or a walk on the beach.
2. Pick a Theme for Your Goal--choose a dream, a niggling idea, or an area of work that needs attention. If time is short, stick with one. Write it down.
3. Make an Action List--brainstorm all the actions, large and small, that will be required to reach your goal. Break each action down into component actions. This list will probably change as you begin the work; it is enough for now to create an outline.
4. Make a Commitment--and write it down on paper! Make yourself accountable by sharing it with a partner, a colleague, a friend. 

You don't have to do all of your goal setting at once; try building three or four short sessions into your next couple of weeks.

Go forth and dream big!