You may be like so many of us who didn’t see the year coming to a close as quickly as it has and, if that’s true, you want to quickly assess where things are at in your business and be able to welcome in the new year, rather than fear it.  Here’s what me and my end-of-year career clients have enacted together, using a SWOT Analysis template:

1.  Make a clear determination of your business’s health by filling in the four quadrants on your template of its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. (If you don’t already have a template for this, you can use Alan Chapman’s free SWOT pdf template. Though his template was designed for new business development, it’s also useful for business review and his questions in the sidebars will prompt you to look at specific areas of your business).

2. Now that you’ve assessed all areas of your business, see if there is anything urgent in your threats quadrant that requires your immediate attention.  It’s possible you need to put out a few fires quickly, but see if any of the opportunities you have listed can help your threats to resolve.  If more long-term resolutions are needed, match your opportunities and strengths to devise a plan to handle any problems, working backwards from your deadlines with step-by-step actions.  All plans are only as effective as they have included each step, plus who will take those steps, and a clear timeline for each step.

3.  Review the weaknesses quadrant to be sure you don’t repeat your mistakes.  For example, if you’ve had some important projects delayed because of poor administrative assistance, before relying on that same assistant to complete your work, consider who you’ll hire first to help you, or how else you’ll get your project completed in a timely and stress-free manner.

4.  Now that your plan is in place to address the most important matters for end-of-year wrap up—or beginning the new year out right—determine alternative solutions.  That’s right!  Your ideas still have to be matched with other folks projects and their timelines.  What if you can’t get something done in the way you imagined it, with that person you expected to be available, or according to your schedule?  What can you do differently if your initial plan of enactment fails?  This may require out-of-ordinary-thinking and unusual tactics.  Consider all options to rework your game plan before you’d consider dropping it.

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