September 16th marks 100 days until Christmas.
But instead of worrying about how quickly the year has flown by, let’s reframe this milestone. Consider it three months of potential—a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact on your business and alleviate the emotional overdraft within your team.
This year, I challenge you and your team (just as I challenge my clients annually) to use Christmas as a deadline for one major initiative that could transform your business. This isn’t about ticking off a long-neglected task; it’s about choosing something substantial, setting a firm deadline, and driving your team to deliver real results. By 25th December, you’ll have more than just holiday cheer—you’ll have a tangible achievement to celebrate together.
How the 100-Day Challenge Can Help With Emotional Overdraft
It’s easy for leaders and teams alike to experience emotional overdraft—the feeling of being constantly overwhelmed and stretched too thin. The 100-day challenge is an antidote to this. By focusing on a single, impactful goal, you can galvanise your business, redistribute responsibilities, and empower others to take the lead. This shared endeavour not only lightens your load but also energises the entire team, fostering a sense of accomplishment and reducing the mental strain that comes from trying to juggle too much at once.
Imagine the Possibilities in 100 Days
Every year, my clients embrace this challenge, deliberately choosing what they want to achieve before Christmas. If you’re after some inspiration, here are some of the challenges that have been decided upon this year:
- Implementing an AI initiative in each department and have everyone using AI at least once a day
- Codifying processes across the business and creating a Process Bible
- Finally completing the new website and having an internal launch party for it
And some from previous years:
- Upsell Initiative: Training the entire team to turn clients into advocates, enhancing customer relationships and boosting revenue.
- Gross Profit Target: Setting a new profit goal and involving everyone in understanding the agency’s finances.
- New Product Launch: Moving a product from beta to full launch, hitting the market just in time for the festive season.
- CRM Implementation: Finally adopting a CRM system to streamline operations and improve customer management.
Getting Started on the 100-Day Challenge
Choose Your Focus: Start by gathering your team and discussing potential projects. What can you collectively achieve in the next 100 days that will make a lasting impact? Be ambitious—this is your chance to tackle something big.
Set Milestones: Break down the project into 30, 60, and 90-day milestones. These checkpoints will help maintain momentum and ensure that you’re on track to meet your deadline.
Define Accountability: Clarify roles and responsibilities from the outset. Does the project need a dedicated team or task force? Make sure everyone knows their part and is empowered to make decisions.
Ensure Autonomy: Give your team the freedom and resources they need to succeed. This isn’t just about delegation; it’s about trusting your team to deliver without micromanagement.
Check In Regularly: While it’s important to let your team lead, make sure to provide support and guidance as needed. Regular check-ins will keep everyone aligned and motivated.
Celebrate Success: Once your 100-day project is completed, take the time to celebrate. Recognise everyone’s contributions, and enjoy the satisfaction of having achieved something significant together.
The Ripple Effect on Emotional Wellbeing
By focusing on a specific challenge, you can not only achieve a tangible business goal but also significantly reduce emotional overdraft within your team. This challenge encourages collaboration, spreads the workload, and creates opportunities for others to lead. The sense of shared purpose and accomplishment is a powerful remedy against the feelings of overwhelm that often accompany the end of the year.
So, as we count down the 100 days to Christmas, let’s also count on the positive changes we can make—not just for our businesses, but for our mental and emotional wellbeing. I’m here to help you get started, whether through a brainstorming session or simply offering some guidance. Let’s see what we can achieve together by 25th December 2024.
Let’s make the next 100 days count.
Andy Brown
