The move: Create quarterly goals.
Entrepreneurs are idea machines. We wake up with five new business plans before coffee, two pivots by lunch, and a whole new product line brainstormed during the evening dog walk. That creativity? It’s your superpower.
But it can also be your downfall.
Because while you’re juggling 17 “top priorities,” guess what’s actually getting done?
Nothing. Not so efficient. Not driving revenue.
That’s why I want you to try something different. Something deceptively simple, wildly effective, and guaranteed to increase your productivity and peace of mind: Pick one most important thing. For you. For your business. For every person on your team.
Why just one?
Let me be real with you: Clarity is the jet fuel of progress. Progress = revenue.
When everyone knows exactly what they’re supposed to be focused on, no second-guessing, no mental ping-pong, they move faster. They make better decisions. They finish things.
The magic of one priority is that it forces everything else into the background. All the nice-to-haves, the half-baked initiatives, the distractions disguised as opportunities… they’re silenced. And what’s left is progress that matters.
You want your business to grow? Set one priority.
You want your team to feel empowered and deliver results? Set one priority for each of them.
You want to get out of your own way and stop feeling like a hamster on an espresso binge? You know what to do.
Set a 90-day goal
Here’s your action step: Give yourself and every person on your team one clear, specific, measurable priority to achieve in the next 90 days. Not a vague ambition. Not a to-do list. Not a “drive more engagement” kind of fluff goal. A real one.
For example:
- For your ops manager: “Reduce client onboarding time from 14 to 10 days by September 30.”
- For your marketing assistant: “Launch the new email nurture sequence by August 15.”
- For yourself: “Finalize new pricing structure and roll out to all clients by Q3 close.”
The goal should:
- Be attainable (a stretch, but not a moonshot).
- Have a clear deadline.
- Tie directly to the bigger vision of your company.
Why 90 days?
Because 90 days is the sweet spot. It’s long enough to make real progress, but short enough to stay focused. Any longer, and you lose momentum. Any shorter, and you’re scrambling.
And here’s the kicker: Everyone loves finishing things. When your team actually achieves their 90-day goals, morale skyrockets. Trust deepens. Confidence grows.
Progress becomes contagious.
Don’t let the list grow
Now, I know what you’re thinking: “But Mike, my team has lots of responsibilities! How can I ask them to pick just one goal?”
Simple.
You’re not asking them to stop doing their jobs. You’re asking them to align their effort toward what will make the biggest difference.
You’re not asking them to only do that one thing. You’re asking them to own it. To champion it. To make sure it gets done.
All the other stuff? It’ll still happen. But instead of splitting their attention a dozen ways, they’ll have a north star.
And if you let them create a laundry list of goals? You’re creating a guarantee of diluted effort, missed milestones, and overwhelm that turns into inaction.
Eliminate the noise
Want to take this to the next level?
Eliminate distractions that threaten the one thing. Remove recurring meetings that don’t move the needle. Cut deadweight projects. Say no to anything that doesn’t help achieve that 90-day priority.
This is how you move fast without burning out. This is how you win.
Because when you do less and do it well, you create momentum. And momentum in business is everything.
Need proof? Hear it from my team!
You don’t have to take my word for it. The data backs this up. Teams that work toward a single, shared goal consistently outperform those trying to juggle too many priorities. It’s true in sports, in military operations, and absolutely in small business.
For instance: Our Fix This Next project manager had this to say about her quarterly goal: One of my quarterly goals was to enhance FTN engagement by highlighting specific FTN Advisors. This was a very fulfilling goal, especially since I was relatively new. It allowed me to get to know many certified FTN individuals and their businesses. I was able to take the time to explore their webpages and learn about them as individuals, rather than just seeing them on a spreadsheet or platform. This goal provided an opportunity to highlight these people and also gave me time to research their businesses, which I hadn’t had the chance to do before.
And yes. Now we have more FTN Advisors!
And if you want to dive deeper:
- Fix This Next (Chapter 7) helps you identify the right priority based on your business’s core needs.
- Clockwork (Chapter 6) shows you how to build accountability and structure around that priority.
- Profit First (Chapter 12) reveals how rhythm and consistency create the stability you need to actually follow through.
- The Pumpkin Plan (Chapter 9) reinforces the art of pruning everything that doesn’t help you grow your best, most profitable clients.
These tools work because they all reinforce one thing: Focus.
What’s your one thing?
You don’t have to change everything this week.
But you can change your results by changing your focus.
Start here:
- Write down your ONE most important goal for the next 90 days.
- Ask each team member to do the same.
- Meet as a team. Share. Align. Support each other.
- Track weekly progress. Adjust as needed. Celebrate when it’s done.
Then do it again.
Every 90 days. New goal. New clarity. New progress.
It’s not magic. It’s a strategy. And it works.
Final thought
“Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.” – Paul J. Meyer
Ditch the clutter. Pick the priority. And make your next 90 days your most productive yet.
To your progress!
-Mike