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Welcome Manali!
If you’re like me, you might have a constant stream of ideas and projects you’re excited about. As multi-passionate business owners, it’s a blessing—and sometimes a challenge—to channel all that energy into a clear plan. That’s why I love quarterly planning!
Recently on The Dream Biz Podcast, I had the chance to chat with Manali Sontakke about her approach to quarterly planning. Manali is a photographer, private photo editor, and online business manager who has mastered the art of balancing big goals with practical planning. Her system inspired me, and I know it’ll resonate with you too!
Why Manali Loves Quarterly Planning
Manali shared that when she first started her business, she planned month-to-month but quickly realized it wasn’t giving her enough foresight. She also tried yearly planning but found it difficult to stick to the plan as life and business evolved.
Quarterly planning, however, struck the perfect balance. It allows enough time to make meaningful progress while remaining flexible for unexpected changes, like personal commitments or a surge in client work.
I can relate! Quarterly planning has helped me manage my overachiever tendencies and focus on what’s realistic and achievable.
Manali’s 5-Step Quarterly Planning Process
During our conversation, Manali shared her five-step process for quarterly planning, which I’m excited to implement more fully in my own business.
1. Reflect on the Past 90 Days
Manali emphasizes the importance of reflection before setting new goals. She recommends taking time to look back at the last quarter—reviewing your calendar, project management system, and routines.
She also checks in on her mindset and energy, asking, “How have I felt as a business owner and as a person?” This holistic approach ensures she’s addressing both personal and business priorities.
2. Review Your Calendar
Next, Manali suggests pulling out your calendar for the upcoming quarter. Block off vacations, personal days, and any non-negotiables (like your birthday!). By accounting for these commitments upfront, you can better plan your work around them.
3. Check Your Finances
Although not everyone’s favorite step, Manali believes a quick financial review is essential. She looks at projected income and expenses to identify any gaps. If there’s a shortfall, she adjusts her quarterly focus to prioritize booking more work or promoting specific offers.
4. Decide What to Focus On
Manali always determines which services or products she’ll focus on promoting during the quarter. She says this step saves her so much time when creating marketing content because she’s not starting from scratch every month.
5. Set Achievable Goals
Finally, Manali sets her goals—or as she likes to call them, “projects.” She typically chooses zero to three goals per quarter. Why zero? Because sometimes the best goal is to focus on maintaining your business during busy seasons.
She also breaks each goal into three to seven high-level steps and maps them onto her calendar. This helps her see whether her timeline is realistic and keeps her from overcommitting.
Tools for Quarterly Planning
Manali uses a mix of digital and physical tools for her planning:
- Asana: Great for breaking down goals into tasks and collaborating with her team.
- Google Calendar: She blocks off quarterly planning days and integrates them with Asana.
- PowerSheets by Cultivate What Matters: These help her track progress with monthly, weekly, and daily goals.
- Kat Schmoyer’s Quarterly Calendar: She prints this on foam board and uses it as a dry-erase visual aid.
Having both digital and visual tools helps her stay organized and motivated.
Staying on Track
Manali recommends checking in regularly to stay on track:
- Monthly Check-Ins: Spend about an hour reviewing insights and preparing for the next month.
- Weekly Check-Ins: On Fridays, reflect on the week and plan for the week ahead.
These small touchpoints keep her aligned with her goals and give her space to adjust as needed.
Balancing Business and Life
One thing I love about Manali’s approach is how she prioritizes balance. She creates a template calendar to allocate time for client work, marketing, and personal activities. She also sets hard stop times to ensure she doesn’t overwork herself—a boundary I’m working on myself!
Manali also recognizes the importance of flexibility. During busy seasons, she allows herself to focus on work, knowing she’ll counterbalance with extra time off later.
Ready to Try Quarterly Planning?
If you’re inspired to give quarterly planning a try, I encourage you to take a page from Manali’s playbook. Start with a reflection on the past 90 days, then move into reviewing your calendar, finances, focus areas, and goals.
Manali even has a free Google Doc template that walks you through her process step by step. It’s fully customizable, so you can make it your own!
Quarterly planning has helped me stay organized and focused in my business, and I’m confident it can do the same for you. Let me know how it works for you—leave a comment below or connect with me on Instagram.
Here’s to achieving big goals while staying balanced and joyful!
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Check out Manali’s Website
Grab Manali’s Quarterly Planning Guide
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