11/1/2024-Remaining ’24 selling days

You’re already on the clock for 2024. So, get your calendar organized to avoid stress and chaos in the next couple of months.

How many selling days do you have left in the tank for ’24? Today is the 305th day of the year, which means time is running thin.

In the coming seven full work weeks, there will be parties, events, and unintentional easing off the gas. (Everyone’s a bit tired at this time each year.) All of this means you’ll have about 30 selling days before eggnog.

To get the most out of the year, consider the scheduling (tactic) and planning (strategy) that require your attention. Both will help you finish this year strong and, more importantly, get you a big lead for January and Q1.

It’s time to chart the last two months of the year and determine how many All-In selling days you have left in ’24. ("All-Ins" are those where you’re bustin’ it for an entire workday.)

Open your strategic account plans and comb them for insights that help you prioritize your All-In work.

This exercise has no wrong answers; simply acknowledge the many distractions coming during the last 61 calendar days of the year and figure out how you’ll best finish Q4 and set up Q1.

There’s a wonderful cadence to the year that provides comforting repetition and guidance, too.

Each calendar season evokes as many feelings as business quarters yield actions and behaviors. Spring is a natural elixir because of warming weather and blooming flowers; summer is filled with lots of fun, etc., etc. And, of course, each quarter brings its own rhythms driven by quota focus.

But the last two months are the trickiest because, face it, the tank is a bit empty, and the distractions are broad. Whether you were up this year or missed your number, you’re tired just the same. The sales life is a slog measured by deadlines, milestones, and pressure.

If you are organized and able to look months down the line – and plot your calendar accordingly – you’ll be more successful than someone who struggles to see past next week.

Like anything in sales, the trick is merely to create habits and structure for your work. And because November and December are two of the more frenetic months, the rhythm of the calendar can disrupt you and drag you down. This wouldn’t be such a problem if January and February didn’t follow November and December. But a new year comes fast…and it’s pretty much here now.

You’re already on the clock for 2024. So, organize your calendar to avoid stress and chaos in the next few months. And so you can get off to a great New Year’s start.

This promotional video for Nir Eyal’s master class on focus may help you summon the brain energy you need to finish the year strong.

Nir is the author of two bestsellers, including "Indestructible: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life."

Whether or not you watch Nir in this video, understand you’re in crunch time and that’s an opportunity to prove you can finish strong.