Need a Plan for the New Year? Try Hosting a Planning Party!

​At the beginning of every year, there are a lot of ideas rattling around in my head of new things I'd like to do and others I’d like to refresh or revise. The problem is that it can be hard to change habits and make a fresh start, right?
 
I don’t want to end up next December wondering where my time went and what happened to all those things I’d hoped to get done. So, I came up with a new event to help me achieve some goals.

It all started back in November when I attended NERCPO, a fabulous Professional Organizers’ conference in Connecticut. There, I heard about a planning retreat for entrepreneurs. While it sounds like a fantastic experience (one I hope to attend someday), it didn't fit into my schedule this year.
 
But... it sparked something: What if I hosted a similar event in my own home? And that's how my Planning Party was born!
 
A Planning Party is a dedicated time to collect all of your ideas, flesh them out, and get to work on implementing them. To make your goals stick better, it incorporates some beneficial rewards, such as accountability, getting & giving feedback, and spending time in fellowship with friends and colleagues.
 
To see if others were as interested in this concept as I was, I floated the idea to a small group that had gathered for a post-NERCPO dinner. Everyone was enthusiastic!
 
From there, one of my colleagues and I worked together to refine the concept. We decided to do two 6-hour days, spaced one week apart. Here’s the thinking behind that framework:
 
Planning Party Day 1 = Brainstorming, discussing ideas, getting feedback & input, and prioritizing.
 
Week in Between = Time to let ideas settle, gather information, research, and plan the steps of the projects.
 
Planning Party Day 2 = Regrouping, discussing the planned projects, and holding work sessions to get things done.
 
If this sounds like just the sort of structure you need for yourself and your ideas, you should host a Planning Party!
 
It’s simple. You only need to gather a small group of goal-minded friends or work colleagues and challenge each other to tackle some projects.
 
Whether you use my 2-day format or you come up with a time frame of your own, the basic structure should include:

1. Brain Dump: Time for each person to capture, in writing and in one place, all those ideas that are floating around waiting for you to take action.
2. Feedback: Time for each person to share their ideas with the group, then get input about how to prioritize and achieve those goals.
3. Down Time: Time at the beginning, middle, and end of the session(s) to refresh yourselves over a chat, a cup of tea (or something stronger), and/or a bite to eat.
4. Work Time: Time for everyone to do the work needed to achieve one of their projects or goals or to carry out one phase of a project. The benefits of working on separate projects in a group environment include a lowered temptation to slack off and access to immediate input if you hit a wall or a snag.

 
In a couple of weeks, my Planning Party will go live, and I'm thrilled about getting the year off to a great start!
 
So, what are you waiting for? Do a Doodle and see when your group is available for a Planning Party!
 
NOTE: All links are provided for your information only, and I do not receive any payment for endorsements.
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