My colleagues and I all breathed a sigh of relief when the day passed us by.
I hadn't thought about it for years of course.
But as I remembered the talk of twenty years ago.
All four of us at work due within weeks of each other, talking about that date being less than ideal as a child's birthday.
But this weekend being June 6th...
When 20 years ago I was very pregnant...
And how I loved growing up that 6 is a mathematically perfect number (even if 3 of those in a row isn't so great)...
I'm going with 6 devilishly fun things to do to set your business up for success for the rest of 2026.
If you've got a problem with it, here's what I suggest first:
Take A Hike
Or go to the beach or head to the slopes.
Because heck yeah we're doing this first.
Taking a vacation (a real one where you actually check out and maybe even go no internet for a bit) is one of the BEST things you can do for your business.
Besides the endorphins, the R&R, and if you're beach bound, a little Vitamin D...
You get to test just how functional your business is without you there.
Let's say you have a $5 million revenue business earning $2 million profit.
But if you can't step away for any length of time, you have a $2 million JOB.
Not too shabby of course, but if you could take the time off - truly - you'd have both a current $2 million a year income AND you'd have a business worth 3-6x that when you exit down the line.
You wouldn't just have a job. You'd have an asset.
Income and wealth and freedom... at the SAME time.
What's not to want?
So mark the time off then create the plans to make this possible.
Get Bold & Audacious (Hairy To Be Sure)
Maybe your clients appreciate your risk awareness and your ability to see the pros and cons.
Maybe they like it when you take a measured approach.
But when it comes to your business growth goals... Stop being so @%#$ reasonable!
Growing at 2-3% a year = inflation or population growth (aka you've flatlined it so bravo?). It's also boring and unlikely to get anyone excited.
And in a small business, where you might not be able to pay the same rates as the big guys, you need everyone excited for something else.
You may not be able to channel them more money but you can channel serious motivation and mission-driven results by opening your eyes and theirs to a bigger vision.
Setting a BHAG (a Big Hairy Audacious Goal) means targeting something a little scary and a little out of reach but very meaningful and energizing to you and your firm.
It also makes a lot more possible for you, your team, and your clients which is part of the excitement of it all.
Which gets people more committed, more creative, and likely to take action.
So stretch it out, stack it up and get a little wild with your goal setting.
Ditch The Tactics
This may be the hardest for my clients to really get.
We are so accustomed to being judged by a to-do list.
And we are bombarded by advice, options, and shiny objects.
So it's only natural to be asked what your goals are and respond with even more tactics to stack on the pile.
I want to be more active on social media.
I need to spend more time on follow up.
I've got to fix this operational sh*tshow.
But really... why? None of it's a bad idea per se but what's all that activity for?
Let's instead get clear on your desired outcome and what the end result gets to be for you.
Because there's something underneath it all that you really want.
So define THAT.
It's okay if you need some time to figure it out. But figure it out. And as you do, get emotional about it. Get attached to it. Feel the feelings of it already being true.
Maybe say something woo-woo to yourself every morning like "I am so happy and grateful now that ....." and fill in the blank. (Then fist pump for good measure and smile... seriously.)
You might think this is the most silly thing I've ever said but this sh*t works.
Not only from an emotional perspective but as a filter for all of those action items.
The actions are just turns and traffic lanes. What you want is the destination.
Do Something You Suck At
I don't mean bookkeeping. Keep that with the expert.
Think more personal than that...
You could sign yourself up to take an art class.
Or maybe try a martial art.
How about a meditation retreat?
Doing something new and different forges pathways in the brain that enhance creativity and improve problem solving - a great thing for an executive like you as you take on different and more interesting problems as your business grows.
The out-of-the-ordinary will help you see new opportunities in routine things.
You'll have new stories to tell and upgrades to the analogies you use in client conversations.
You might have a little more patience with your new employees. (I said might)
And (gasp!) it might just bring you joy and stress relief.
Release the perfection and let some messy learning into your life in a low-risk environment so that you're better prepared for the big decisions and bold moves coming your way this year and beyond.
Embrace Your Inner Toddler
Have you ever tried to manage a toddler in full on tantrum mode?
Where they're so deep into their overwhelming little-kid emotions that you're worried they might hurt themselves?
(And it's probably in the middle of Target and they're hungry and overtired and you're totally mortified and...)
Let's NOT do that.
In fact, let's get ahead of that self-destruct cycle.
Which means it's time to no to far more things, and say no far more often, than you have before.
1980's Nancy Reagan's summed it up well...
"Just Say No."
(And if you're hesitating, follow that up with Nike's "Just Do It.")
Before you burn out, flip out, or fall out of the good graces of people you like and respect.
Figure out what you can say no to so that when that next big opportunity arrives, you've got more capacity...
Capacity in calendar space, headspace, and emotional space...
To be ready for all that you've planned.
A toddler who's determined to say no is a force to be reckoned with.
You may have grown out of the tantrums, but you too can and should be a force to be reckoned with in your business growth.
Especially when it comes to building the life, the income, the wealth, and the opportunity you want.
Cover Your Ears and La-La-La
Asked the other day one of the things I could do or not do to stay focused on my goals, I responded with "stop watching webinars."
I was being only half serious but...
A good marketing webinar (or sales pitch or social media post) is psychologically structured to make us feel the "gap", then widen that gap to the point of pain, then get us to buy the fix.
Except that fix is someone else's product, someone else's business gain, someone else's agenda.
And it doesn't always match up with what we want.
Instead it's just dominating our thought patterns...
The world going to keep telling you you're missing out and will throw up shiny objects to distract you.
You'll feel like something has to be done a certain way for you to experience success. Or you have to do this or that or the other thing to reach your goals.
But it's BS.
And you don't have to buy in.
Businesses grow in good economies AND bad economies.
Businesses grow without social media, without direct outreach, without endless coaching.
And businesses grow with operational hiccoughs and bottlenecks.
The only things you really have to do in life is breathe, sleep, blink... and your body does that for you. Everything else is optional.
So put in your earplugs, throw some blinders on, and get back to your plan.
Your future self will thank you.
P.S. If any of these six things are overdue, or you'd like help getting the systems and structure in place to support these actions, let's talk.
