From Autopilot to Annual Planning

Break the Habit of

Being Yourself in Business

 

I took my annual planning very seriously this year, and it's got me thinking about a pattern I keep seeing - both in myself and in my Tabernacle Residents.

When I look at what I plan to hit ($17,000 in January) versus what I actually hit... well, let's just say there's often a gap. But here's where it gets interesting - this isn't a failure of planning. It's a wake-up call about what happens when we let our businesses run on autopilot.

I've also realized something critical: I spend just as much time promoting a $22 offering as I do a $5,000 offering. Yet the payoff isn't even comparable! This year, I'm paring my business down to focus almost exclusively on my signature offering - Tabernacle. It's the most rewarding, most refined work I do, and honestly, I'm SO IN LOVE with this program anyway.

Inside Tabernacle, we do quarterly breakdowns - planning sales goals, tracking how many units we need to sell, and recording our actual sales. And a fascinating pattern emerged when I reviewed January and February:

I get demotivated right in the middle of the quarter.

I stop selling. Stop talking about my offerings. Stop reaching out to people. It's like I'm being "runned" by habit instead of consciously directing my energy.

 

 

One thing I've learned from my years of annual planning (and I've tried EVERYTHING from Passion Planners to Notion templates to full-on business coaches) is that effective planning requires engaging all parts of yourself.

• Head Brain (2D thinking): The planner who sets those ambitious targets. 
• Heart Brain (4D thinking): The passionate creator who knows these goals are possible 
• Gut Brain (3D thinking): The intuitive guide that senses when you're going off track

When we plan on autopilot, our head brain sets targets, but our heart and gut aren't fully on board. That's why I can make a beautiful spreadsheet of quarterly goals but still lose steam by week 6.

 

 

 

So here's what I'm doing differently this year, and I'm inviting you to join me:

1. 1. Schedule monthly check-ins with yourself. Don't wait until the end to realize you've been on autopilot. I now have a non-negotiable appointment with the Residents and me at the end of each month, plus quarterly planning sessions four times a year with all Residents.
   2. Track your energy, not just your numbers. In my planner, I'm now tracking not just sales but my enthusiasm level for my offers. When it dips below 7 out of 10, I know I need to reconnect with my purpose.
   3. Create a "Pattern Interruption" plan. I've identified my most common "autopilot triggers." For me, it's administrative overwhelm (when I have too many emails to answer) and spending too much time on Resident work critiques (where I can easily spend 2 hours on one critique instead of the planned 30 minutes). For each trigger, I now have a specific plan - for admin overwhelm, I block just 2 hours to tackle it rather than letting it consume my whole day, and for work critiques, I set a timer to keep myself on track.
   4. Get a planning buddy. This isn't just about accountability; it's about seeing your blind spots. One of my Tabernacle Residents pointed out that I consistently undervalue my teaching hours (charging too little for the value I provide) and spend too much time perfecting work critiques (which isn't always necessary for the student's progress). Having that external perspective helps me adjust my business practices for better profitability and time management.

   Therefore (see what I did there?), annual planning isn't just about setting goals for the future. It's about noticing your patterns from the past so you can choose differently in the present.

2.  

   1.  

   ---

   When you take charge of your planning with all three brains aligned, you're no longer runned by habit. You're running your business with intention, purpose, and presence.

---

What I'm working on:

This round of Tabernacle ends on March 28th, and those who choose to renew will have access to exclusive Q2 planning sessions on April 2nd and 23rd. I'm pouring my heart into these sessions, where we'll map out content calendars aligned with launch dates and identify where energy typically dips.

Just imagine what happens when all my focus (not just 60%) goes into my signature program! The thought alone is exhilarating.

 

What I'm loving:

The book "Four Thousand Weeks" by Oliver Burkeman. It's a refreshingly honest take on time management that actually acknowledges we're finite beings with limited time. His perspective on planning from a place of acceptance rather than resistance has completely shifted how I approach my calendar.

Instead of cramming every possible task into my schedule, I now plan with the knowledge that I only have about 4,000 weeks in my life (hence the title). This mindset makes me much more intentional about what gets my time and attention.

 

What I'm celebrating:

The clarity that comes from intentional planning! After our last Q1 planning session, two of our Tabernacle Residents completely pivoted their business models based on what the numbers were telling them. One realized she was spending 70% of her time on an offering that only brought in 20% of her revenue. Another found that her highest-converting leads weren't coming from Instagram (where she spent most of her marketing time) but from her sporadic newsletter.

These revelations only happened because they took the time to look at their businesses objectively through the lens of strategic planning. As one Resident put it: "I am so excited about creating stories for The Gram.  I can barely stand it. Thank you for helping me!  Today’s call was brilliant and enlightening for me! Nikki 💙