86: Strategic Vacations - Reducing Relationship Risk in Your Business Plan

What if the biggest thing missing from your business plan has nothing to do with the business?

In this episode, Ellen talks about why taking intentional time away can create the space to see opportunities you miss when you’re buried in daily operations. After returning to a wellness retreat in Greece, she shares how the trip gave her room to think about what she wants next year to look like, both in business and in her relationship.

She also explains why traditional strategic planning often spends too much time correcting past mistakes and not enough time considering what could be possible. Then she walks listeners through a simple exercise for looking at business and relationship plans side by side, so you can spot patterns, dependencies, conflicts, and competition for your time and attention.

Part 1: Why Strategic Planning Often Misses the Opportunities

Ellen explains why waiting until the end of the year can lead to rushed planning, and why the Opportunities part of a SWOT analysis often gets less attention than it deserves.

Part 2: Possibility Planning for Your Business and Relationship

Listeners are guided through five questions designed to help them think beyond current circumstances and consider what they want both their business and relationship to look like next year.

Part 3: Work-Life Integration in Practice

Ellen shows how to compare the two sides of the plan and identify patterns, dependencies, conflicts, and the resources both business and relationship are competing for.

Key Takeaways:Start thinking about next year before the end-of-year frenzy hits.Don’t spend all of your planning time fixing what went wrong. Give yourself enough space to see possibilities and opportunities.Think deliberately about what you want your relationship to look like next year, not just your business.Look at your business and relationship plans together instead of treating them as separate parts of your life.Pay attention to patterns, dependencies, conflicts, and where both sides are competing for your time and attention.Once you’ve worked through your own ideas, bring your partner into the conversation.

Call to Action:If you want help thinking through your specific situation, schedule a free Relationship Reset Call with Ellen at:

relationshipresetcall.com