The Q4 Crunch

Have you heard of the Q4 Crunch?

No, I’m not talking about a new ab exercise. Those in business know what I mean. It’s the 4th quarter and you have 3 months to achieve those aggressive goals you’ve set for your business, career or team. As a woman who has spent most of her career living by quarterly plans and results, when the 4th quarter is here and you haven’t made significant progress toward your goals – sales, profit, new clients, etc., — you have three months to git ‘er done. Well, today’s the first business day of the final quarter of 2017 – It’s the Q4 Crunch.

I’d like to suggest that it’s an equally good time to re-evaluate your health goals. Remember those from wayyyyy back in January? Right. Those goals. Lose weight. Eat better. Get more sleep. Drink more water.

Closing out the year Strong

With nine months down in 2017 and three to go – do you feel you are going to close out the year strong — physically and mentally? If not, it’s time to retool, refocus and finish 2017 stronger, healthier and ready to take on what’s ahead in 2018. Imagine starting the new year with the feeling of accomplishment and  being ready to improve on your healthy habits, instead of starting over like you’ve done every other year?

And, let’s not forget the connection between body confidence/health and success in business. You want your business to be healthy? Then you need to be healthy. Truth bomb right there. Approach wellness like your business or career, and both will be healthier in the long run.

Here’s how you can do a quick Q4 check up on your wellness goals and adjust as needed.

Honestly Reassess. Get real about where you are and then you can retool your efforts. Don’t try to spin it or put a nice sugar-coating on it. Be brutally honest about what you’ve accomplished (or not) and deal with it. Like any business plan not meeting expectations – sometimes you need to rethink your strategies and approach the challenge differently. So, when you look at all the things you wanted to accomplish, be honest about what has worked for you and do more of that. What works for your friend or is the hottest new diet trend may not be right for you. Find what works and, GO!

Clear the Decks and Prioritize. When you get off track with business plans or become distracted by too many projects, results suffer. Likewise, the same can be said about health and wellness. Take a Sunday and look at your calendar for the coming month. What can you eliminate that frees up time for you to be focused on your health? Fall means back to school, back to sports, back to lots of activities. Do you have to attend every event? Volunteer for all the school parties? Travel for every client meeting? As a leader in your business, you know that focusing on what’s most important leads to results…be honest with yourself about what’s negotiable on your calendar and then prioritize time for wellness.

Focus on Impact vs. Activity. A former boss used a John Wooden quote that has stuck with me. “Never mistake activity for accomplishment.” The same can be said about your wellness. I know plenty of women who fill their evenings and weekends with lots of different “wellness” activities. However, they are accomplishing very little.  If you’re trying everything but committing to nothing, you are spreading your attention, time and energy too thin. Focus on the activities that will lead to accomplishing your goals – not just filling up your calendar.

Tap the Experts. When you are struggling with something in your business or career, you don’t hesitate to bring in an expert, or find a resource to help you with that challenge. Why wouldn’t you do the same with your health and wellness? Seek out professional coaches and trainers to assess your individual health needs when you aren’t achieving results. An unbiased assessment from someone trained in nutrition, physical fitness and behavior modification can quickly identify the issues, get you on the right track and keep you accountable.

Monitor the Results. If you’ve neglected to track your results thus far this year, now is the time to step it up and monitor things. Weekly is ideal. As you move forward, keep a log (on your phone or in a notebook) of your goals, current stats like weight, measurements, etc., and how you feel. Like your business or project, when you track progress on a regular basis you see trends, anticipate problems, react quickly to opportunities and change course when needed.

Be Perfectly Imperfect

Finally, as you look to ending the year strong and getting a jumpstart on 2018 for your life, career, business and health, remember that things will never be perfect. So, embrace that imperfection and keep moving forward. It’s ok to not be perfect. It’s not ok to give up when you slip up.  Don’t dwell on the past or what you didn’t do well. Learn from it and build on it.

If you are feeling the crunch and need strategies to make the most of Q4, let’s get on a call to discuss how I can help.

Need a jumpstart? Want to feel better, look better and be more confident? Join my FREE 5-Day Feel Good Challenge.

Here’s to the Q4 crunch which will lead you to a happy, healthy and prosperous 2018!