Planning for 2012: What is Your Squidoo Year Going to Look Like?

As the year is winding down, it is time to think about what we are going to do next year on Squidoo (and our other income generating sites).  The most successful people in any industry plan out their goals each year for the following year, and then adjust them throughout the year as they progress.

This is a great time of year to plan for next year, as we look at the income that has come in during the 4th quarter, especially in December.  This is the time of year that most of us make the most money from sales, so we are in a good mood.  This will lend a positive spin to our plans, which is the best time to plan.

Plans should be specific.  You should make them as specific as you can.  Remember that while these plans should guide you, if circumstances change, you can adjust them, so don’t be scared to make a commitment to your numbers.

Try to stretch yourself a bit, so that you can grow.  Add something in your plan that you have never done before, and may be a bit afraid to try.  Think of how good you will feel when you accomplish that task.  You will feel awesome!

For me, it is easiest to make general plans for the entire year, then break them down into monthly amounts.  So if I was planning to write 120 new lenses in 2012, I would break that down into 10 per month.  While 120 seems like a lot, 10 doesn’t seem that like many.

Here are some possible things to consider adding to your Squidoo plan for 2012:

1. How many lenses will you write this year
2. What new thing will you learn how to do this year
3. New platforms to try writing on this year (I suggest Wizzley)
4. Where will your top lens be this year
5. What will be your average Squidoo monthly income be
6. What new vendors will you work with this year
7. Will you find a new mentor
8. Will you participate in forums more or less
9. Will you start a blog, or increase your blogging
10. How many backlinks will you add to your lenses

You get the idea.

To give you an example, I will tell you part of my plans for 2012.  I have done well on Squidoo, Wizzley, and my own websites this year.  Other than Squidoo, the other sites were all new in 2011.  I plan to further develop the websites that I established this year, add more similar set up sites, and increase my pages on Wizzley.  I will also be looking for ways to increase the visibility of my Lake Erie Artists Gallery website.  My newest venture in 2012 which is a bit scary for me, will be writing one or more ebooks.

I believe that planning is essential to success.  Each of us has our own way of doing this, whether we put the information on paper, on our computer, or on a vision wall.  Technique is not important, but having a plan is.  Don’t wait until mid January or February to make your plan.  Start now, and get the basics down to refine over the next 3 or 4 weeks.  A plan is something that you can think about when you are cooking for the holidays, or driving to visit family.  By the time the new year rolls around, you will have already let the ideas percolate for several weeks, and you will be ready to formulate your step by step outline for January.

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