The Next 90 Days: Setting the Tone for Long-Term Success - Episode 185

 If you've ever hit the beginning of February and thought, wait, wasn't I supposed to be crushing my goals by now? You're not alone. The new year starts with a bang. Energy is high, everyone's settling big plans, but then real life happens. 

The events pile up. The emails pile up. Clients demand your time.

And suddenly, those carefully laid out plans start to fade into the background. The truth is, most businesses don't struggle with setting goals, they struggle with sticking to them. That's why today, we're focusing on the next 90 days.

Because if you can lock in momentum now, you'll be setting yourself up for long term success. We're not just talking about planning, we're talking about execution. Because having a vision is great, but if you don't have a structure to back it up, you're just guessing.

Instead of guessing, let's dig into a process to help you today and in tomorrow. This is the Budding Entrepreneur Podcast. Good day and welcome to the Budding Entrepreneur Podcast. 

I'm your host, Randy Bridges. In each episode, we dive into practical business strategies that you can put to work in your business right away. We also focus on inspiring stories from leaders who are shaking and making things happen in their industry. 

It's all about giving you the tools and insights to take you and your business to the next level. So get comfortable and let's jump right in. All right, all right. 

We are on episode 185 of the Budding Entrepreneur Podcast. And today is Friday, February 7th, 2025. Last week, we talked about hiring and retaining top talent. 

Because let's face it, your business is only as strong as the people driving it forward. But even with the right people, you need the right plan to keep things moving. That's what today is all about. 

Momentum. How to take the next 90 days and make them the launchpad for long term success. If you've ever felt like your New Year's goals start strong but fade fast, you're not alone. 

Today, we're going to fix that. Here's what we're covering in this week's episode. We're going to look at a quote of the week from James Clear. 

We're going to talk about why the next 90 days matter more than you probably think. We're going to cover how to build a focused and achievable 90-day plan without getting overwhelmed. We're going to look at the power of accountability, why you need it, and how to set it up. 

And finally, how to adjust along the way without losing momentum. So let's start with a simple but powerful truth. In our quote of the week, James Clear tells us, you do not rise to the level of your goals. 

You fall to the level of your systems. If you don't know who James Clear is, he's the author of Atomic Habits, one of the best books I know of on how small actions drive big results. And this quote, it's perfect for today's topic because setting a goal isn't the hard part.

The hard part is making sure you have systems in place to support that goal. So let's talk about why 90 days is the sweet spot for making those systems work. Most people set year-long goals and then forget about them by March. 

Why? Because a year is too long. There's too much time to procrastinate, too much room for distractions. The reality is business moves in quarters.

The companies that dominate their industries aren't looking at the whole year. They're thinking in 90-day cycles. Why does this work? Well, it's short enough to stay focused.

Right? You can't just push off actions for months and let them sit. 90 days forces urgency. Also, it's long enough to create real impact. 

Unlike 30-day sprints, 90 days gives you time to see meaningful results. And it's easy to measure and adjust. You don't wait a whole year to figure out what's working. 

You check in every quarter. So if you want to stop spinning your wheels, let's start with a clear structured plan for the next 90 days. When it comes to building your 90-day plan, the 90-day plan is about focus. 

I recommend that people pick one major goal that will move the needle that they're going to focus on for the next 90 days. And when we start building your 90-day plan, it's not about setting 15 different priorities. It's about creating a realistic plan, one that makes a difference in your business.

And if you want real progress in your business, you need more than just a vague idea of where you're going. You need a structured actionable plan. 90 days isn't about setting goals.

It's about creating a framework that keeps you on track, accountable, and adaptable. Now, this is going to be your blueprint for making consistent measurable progress without getting overwhelmed. So let's break it down into three key elements. 

Clarity, execution, and accountability. For step one, define your primary goal. Again, ask what's that one thing that if it's accomplished will have the biggest impact on me or my business. 

Is it growing revenue? Is it improving operations? Is it finding a weak point in your business? Whatever it is, pick one and make it the priority. Step two, break it down into key milestones. This is very much like project management.

We're going to take a big goal, which can really feel overwhelming, and break it down into the first 30 days. We're going to lay a foundation. The next 30 days, we're going to execute the core work. 

And the final 30 days is optimizing and scaling. Remember, the idea of all of this is not just to do something one time. You want it to be able to continue working, and then you can scale it so that it can grow out into other areas and show impact in more than just the one area you've looked at. 

The idea is that each milestone here, the first 30, the next 30, and the final 30, are to keep you on track without feeling lost in the details. Step three is set weekly actions. Now, I've been told many, many times that success is a whole bunch of very small actions taken consistently. 

And that's what we're dealing with here, all these small consistent steps. Every week, we're going to define three to five key actions that directly move you toward your primary goal. And if it doesn't align, it's a distraction.

Looking at the power of accountability, here's the truth that you can really count on. Goals without accountability are just wishes. You probably heard that, and it really is true.

This is where most business owners fail. It's not because their goal is bad, but because they don't have a structure to stay on track. How do you fix this? Well, the easiest way is to make a public commitment. 

Tell all your teams, tell all your people, tell your customers even, and clients if you have those, what you're working on. And make it clear. You can put this into your monthly newsletter. 

What is the one thing we're focusing on this quarter? We're also going to look at scheduling regular check-ins. Once a week, usually Friday, review your progress and adjust pieces if needed. Track your progress visually. 

Use a dashboard, a whiteboard, or sticky notes. Something that you can see and everyone can see on the board to keep everyone accountable. And when you can see the progress, it's easy to keep a high motivation for something like this. 

Another important point to this is how to adjust without losing your momentum. Now, your 90-day plan isn't rigid. Again, it's a framework. 

Businesses change and new opportunities come up. Obstacles come right where you didn't even see them coming from. It doesn't mean you have to start over, but you do need to pivot while staying focused. 

Now, if your goal, for example, was to launch a new service, but something shifts in the market, don't abandon it. Simply adjust your approach. You can stay committed to the goal, but being flexible in the execution. 

That's a key right there of how to keep from getting stuck. As a quick recap, here are three steps that you can do right now. Number one, choose your big goal. 

What's the most important thing for the next 90 days? Map out the key milestones. What needs to happen in the first 30, 60, and 90 days? Schedule a weekly check-in. Block the time to review progress and make adjustments. 

Do this, and you're not just setting goals, you're making success inevitable. I want to dig into what we're going to be looking at next week. We're diving into the topic that's built around transforming the way you bring in business. 

This is going to be the art of building referral partnerships that stick. For many business owners, referrals sound like a dream. Clients coming in easily through word of mouth. 

But the reality, finding and maintaining profitable referral networks can be very frustrating and unpredictable. So in next week's episode, we'll break down how to develop long-term partnerships that consistently drive new business without wasting your time on connections that go nowhere. If you want a steady stream of high quality referrals, you won't want to miss this episode.

That's it for this episode. I hope you picked up some valuable insights and maybe even sparked a few new ideas. If you want to keep the conversation going, or maybe even explore partnerships, don't hesitate to reach out. 

And hey, don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this with someone who needs to hear it. The steps you take today could be the start of something big tomorrow. For The Budding Entrepreneur, I wish you the best in your health, your wealth, your business, your family, everything about you. 

Take care, and we'll see you back here next week.