Getting back on track, prepping for the future.

Byline: Ellen Keiley

Q.I did very little marketing over the summer and want to get back on track. Any suggestions?

What I didn't do over my summer vacation

A.

The season change is a perfect time to reflect, set goals, develop a new plan of action and recharge. Don't worry about what you haven't done. You can't change that. Instead, look at the months ahead as a time to move forward and be productive.

Think about what you would like to achieve for the rest of the year. Set both personal and professional goals and write them down. Next, come up with a plan of action to achieve your goals. Develop a timeline of the marketing activities you will commit to doing that is reasonable, manageable and achievable. When choosing the activities, think about what you like best.

Fall is a good time to replace bad habits with good ones and get motivated. Think about what you should stop doing and what you need to start doing, and create new routines. Maybe you want to start going to the gym, start running every morning, or start meditating and focusing on mindfulness. Start tomorrow, and develop a consistent daily routine. Then it will become automatic for you. It's a great position to be in when you develop a good routine and stick to it.

Have you been thinking about giving back and getting on a nonprofit board? Take action and contact people to learn what opportunities are out there. Do you want to start getting out more to events? Research event calendars and sign up. Do you want to start speaking more? Contact organizations. Let them know you are available to speak, and on which topics.

Be sure to review your goals and plan of action on a regular basis to stay motivated and accountable. It can be very helpful to seek out an accountability partner as well, to keep you on track. Take action and start now!

Ellen

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Q. I'm concerned that a dip in the economy could negatively affect my book of business in the future. What can I do to avoid this?

Forewarned is forearmed?

A. You are very wise to be proactive and take steps now to help yourself in the future. I suggest putting a strong focus on your clients, including your past clients, and your relationships. You should always be working on marketing and business development efforts to better position yourself should future issues arise. It's not a good position to be in when you are in crisis mode and have to start from scratch.

I see many attorneys put themselves in vulnerable positions by relying on a...

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