The Road Ahead
by Sue Hoppin

If you're like me, you looked up a few days ago and realized that we were already into February.  It seems like January just flew by.  Thank goodness for end of year planning sessions or else I'd be sitting here a month behind.  It doesn't matter whether you're a small business owner, traditional employee or volunteer, I hope you've put together a plan for your professional year ahead.  I don't think it's enough to say that you have goals and a plan in mind.  You need to sit down and take pen to paper (or at least turn that computer on).  Take notes and be deliberate about your goals and where you see yourself going.  Some things to keep in mind:

	Do you have a salary or monetary goal of what you'd like to make?  What do you have to change/get in place to achieve that goal?  Perhaps it's a discussion with a supervisor or bringing on some strategic partnerships to help you make your goal.
	Are there some conferences you'd like to attend for your professional development?  I try to attend at least two-three conferences per year that I choose depending on the contracts I'm working on or areas in which I'm trying to grow my business.
	What are some things you did last year that worked really well for you.  Are they things that could help you this year?
	What are some things you felt you could have done last year, but never got around to because you ran out of time?  Are those goals that you could carry into this year?
	Do a scrub of your social media presence.  Clean things out and make sure your sites are still representing you well.
	Is your resume updated?  Is your information updated on LinkedIn?  Do you have a LinkedIn?  If not, why not?  Small business owners and freelancers aren't exempt from this - we all need to maintain an updated resume and LinkedIn profile.  You never know when it'll come in handy and the time to develop them isn't when you need them.  Much easier to keep them updated with minor tweaks annually.

This part of the process should be brainstorming in the best sense.  Don't limit yourself by worrying about what's realistic.  This is simply figuring what you'd love to do to progress your professional self if the sky was the limit.  The next step is where you'll start to establish some metrics, timetables and figure out the time/money constraints:

	Get out a calendar and see what's feasible.  Can you really make it to those conferences you identified?  Which ones don't conflict with family/military obligations?  If your spouse is deployed, which ones can you arrange alternate childcare for?  If you have a deployed servicemember and no alternative childcare, perhaps this is the year you choose local conferences.
	How much do you have budgeted for professional development and how do the trainings and conferences you've picked fit into this budget?  If it's a no-go, perhaps look into ways that you can volunteer and/or speak at some of these events.  Many of them take calls for speakers and while they may not pay, they generally provide free admission to the remainder of the conference for their speakers.  Worth asking.  If you're not able to afford the training you need to take, perhaps start putting some money aside so you can attend next year or get your employer to sponsor you.  You get the gist of it - there are ways to fund your professional development.  If it's something you're really interested in, prioritize it and explore the funding sources available to you.  Don't overlook classes at the local installation either.  The family support centers (you know what they're called on your installation) sponsor a multitude of relevant classes that are usually free of charge for eligible service members and their families.
	If you've identified potential partnerships that would help grow your business, how are you going to approach those people?  Do you already know them or are there events you should be attending to expand your network?
	If your social media sites leave a bit to be desired, allocate a couple hours a week cleaning them up or looking for resources such as Tweetdeck or Hootsuite that might help you manage multiple accounts more efficiently.  If you find that your social media sites are essential to your business, but don't relish the time you spend on them, consider outsourcing.  Or bringing on a social media intern.
	Finally, if you don't already have a LinkedIn account, consider starting one.  It's a great way to stay connected with business associates and catalog your work experience.  If you already have an account, make sure you keep it updated.  Share relevant content with your connections to brand your subject matter expertise.

This isn't meant to be a comprehensive list as much as an exercise in some goal setting/strategic planning for the year ahead.  It's well worth the effort for you to sit down and dedicate some time to figuring out what you want to accomplish this year and how you are going to get there.  Set some goals and establish metrics so you can recognize your successes.  You'll find that going through the motions of writing things down will help you figure out the blueprint for the year ahead.  After all, as Lewis Carroll said so eloquently, "If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there."

What's on your list for 2013?

Sue Hoppin is the founder and president of the National Military Spouse Network, a consultant on military family issues and the co-author of, "A Family's Guide to the Military for Dummies". Before founding the NMSN, Sue served as the first deputy director for spouse outreach for a military affiliated non-profit with a 375,000+ membership. She is a recognized subject matter expert on military spouse and family issues and has spoken to audiences nationwide ranging from installation career events to leadership training sessions and national conferences. She holds a bachelor's degree in international studies from the University of Denver and a master's degree in international relations from the University of Oklahoma.  

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