Instead of “to-dos” make a list of “dones”

As a natural listmaker, I’m always busy making my to-do lists throughout the year. So it’s nice to take some time at the end of the year to reflect on what was accomplished, instead of what needs to be done. As I mentioned in this 10-Minute Marketing post, I keep a running list of “monthly highlights” as the year goes by. Specifically, I track client and sales growth, number of leads or prospects, press mentions, and events I participate in. This helps me stay focused on my goals as the year goes by. But I also jot down what I like to call “Success Stories”—positive feedback and project outcomes or other accomplishments that can be shared with my clients or used as personal inspiration throughout the year. For example, a few of my success stories were being invited to be a judge for print communications (for the second time) at the IAPD/IPRA Agency Showcase Awards, as well as hosting my first Branding 101 workshop for local nonprofits and small businesses. (P.S. I was easily able to reference and copy/paste this information from my Monthly Highlights doc) As 2017 draws to a close, why not set aside your to-dos and make a list of “dones” to reflect back on. Create a few easily quantifiable categories that relate to your organization’s goals, such as increase in donors or members, increase in funds raised or attendance at events, increase in social media reach, or number of press mentions. And think about creating a doc (in Evernote, Google Drive, etc.) that you can update throughout the year. It will help you stay focused on your goals—plus it’s always encouraging to see your list of “dones” grow as the year goes on. Plus, once you have all that good stuff written down, it’s great reference for your marketing materials, content marketing and website. Increased your membership by 20%? Share it on your membership brochure to inspire new members to join. Great turnout at your gala event? Share it on social media to encourage potential donors, attendees, and local media to support future events. Clients, supporters and prospective partners love to hear about all the great stuff you’re doing and how you and your organization are making a difference. Speaking of, here’s an infographic that shows my business highlights from 2016. (Stay tuned for this year’s version!)