Create Clarity and Flow With A POA (Plan of Awesomeness)
As a solopreneur, you’ve probably had many days when you felt overburdened by your to-do list. That’s because we solopreneurs wear all the hats CEO — head of marketing, admin, and everything in between.
Entering 2025, a refined outlook and a more modernized approach to our workload is a must.
Every year we should make our lives and businesses somewhat easier to handle, much like a large corporation’s CEO has to organize their daily routine to be as seamless as possible for their mental health and sustainable business growth.
Our bottom-line solopreneurial goal is to maximize our productivity. And this means top-tier efficiency in all corners we can get it. This we do by planning and taking action so we don’t only react to our daily hurdles, we move intentionally.
A clear plan of action isn’t just helpful; it’s essential. But instead of a plan of action, I propose a Plan of Awesomeness or POA.
And I’ll tell you how it blows a regular action plan out of the water.
What Is A Plan Of Awesomeness
A POA or Plan of Awesomeness is a heavily personalized roadmap for getting from where we are now, to where we want to be — without the stress of figuring it out on the fly.
Unlike vague goals or wishful thinking, a POA is all about actionable steps that move the needle for your biz. It’s not just a list of to-dos, it’s a system that helps you stay organized, focused, and confident.
For solopreneurs juggling all the hats, a POA simplifies decision-making and gives you clarity. It turns overwhelm into progress, helping you focus on what truly matters so you’re not just busy — you’re productive.
Five Reasons Solopreneurs Need a POA
If you’ve gone through the wringer of organizational planning, you might still be wondering, why do I need a POA?
Here are the main benefits:
1. To Reduce Decision Fatigue
If I had to dive into all the decisions we solopreneurs make every week, I’d go on forever… forever ever, forever ever?
Props to the strong decision-makers out there, because the rest of us are spent.
Decision fatigue doesn’t just wear you out, it also worsens your ability to make future decisions. Go figure… In the midst of overwhelm and chaos, poor decision-making becomes another nail in the coffin of our business.
But with a POA, we alleviate the number of decisions we make by working based on our unique circumstances, goals, and behaviours.
By procuring our personalized POA, we gain a unique self-leadership plan that sets up our day-to-day to require minimal decision-making, better targets our main focus, and allows dedicated time for business-critical needs.
The following self-leadership systems are vital for reducing the number of decisions I regularly make:
A Morning Routine: I’ve created a routine to start my day with clarity. It typically includes reviewing my POA and prioritizing tasks.
Weekly Reviews: I schedule a weekly check-in to assess progress, adjust priorities, and celebrate wins.
Accountability Partnerships: I have various accountability buddies to help me stay consistent and motivated.
This modern system is not about having another rigid organizational strategy. Rather, your POA is meant to inspire you to take action and feel excited about having a game plan that works for you.
2. To Keep You Focused on Long-term Goals.
A Plan of Awesomeness places the spotlight on long-term goals, ensuring you don’t find yourself halting mid-year to wonder how the heck you’re not growing.
You may be a number-specific type of solopreneur, with goals such as a target number of clients, customers, leads, page visits, views, likes, etc.
Or, you may have more qualitative objectives such as customer satisfaction, brand awareness, brand impression, and so on.
Your long-term goals may look different altogether, as many of these can be short-term, too.
A Plan of Awesomeness defines and displays your long-term goals prominently and then presents clear, actionable steps to achieve them.
As we remain laser-focused both on the micro and macro levels, our level of empowerment surges. We gain the capacity to lead ourselves and our biz, even when juggling all the hats.
3. To Juggle Priorities Without Feeling Overwhelmed.
While your long-term goals hold top priority, so do your daily tasks which help you attain them.
My Plan of Awesomeness includes advanced time management systems and project management techniques to automate and thus eliminate many repetitive tasks.
Here’s a quick rundown:
Time Management Systems:
Time Blocking: I dedicate specific time slots for tasks like content creation, admin work, and client calls to stay focused.
Batching Tasks: I group similar tasks (e.g., writing blog posts, and scheduling social media) to save time and energy.
My Project Management go-to’s are:
Asana: I create boards or lists for each project, breaking down big goals into actionable steps with deadlines.
Templates: I use reusable templates for repetitive tasks, like launching a product or hosting a webinar. Asana is also AMAZING for this.
If you’re not sure about how to capitalize on the latest automation software, my January Workshop, Creative Planning to stay Organized, gives a behind-the-scenes look at how I get all my shit done. Join here and meet with us on Monday, January 27.
More details below!
Relief and confidence come quickly when you have a system, and not just a goal, that makes your workload more manageable. You can also gain confidence while battling imposter syndrome.
4. Provides Clarity When Things Get Chaotic.
When I first started Ripple Effect Leadership, I had about a hundred content ideas buzzing in my head.
I’d start writing one blog post, get distracted by brainstorming social media captions, and then switch to tweaking my website copy — all on the same day. By the end of the week, I’d feel exhausted but have nothing fully finished.
When I created a POA, I broke down my content strategy into weekly tasks and focused on one thing at a time. I also set up a content calendar in Asana.
Suddenly, my ideas had structure, and I actually finished what I started.
I also hired a content writer to help me tackle blog posts and support me with big launches. Having someone to take on those larger pieces meant I could focus on the creative and strategic parts of my business without feeling overwhelmed.
Getting my hands on essential marketing tools and client management systems which established a sense of order was key to a reliable and balanced approach to moving forward with my business goals while enjoying the ride.
Albeit, there are always hurdles with big projects we live and learn from.
Here’s how my systems helped me:
Marketing
1. Content Calendars: I’ve planned out social media posts, blogs, and email campaigns for the month or quarter.
2. Email Automation: I use the platform Kartra to automate onboarding emails, newsletters, or promotions.
Client/ Customer Management
1. CRM Tools: I use systems — Kartra to manage client contacts, Quickbooks for invoicing, and Asana for project timelines.
2. Onboarding Workflow: I automate my client onboarding process with clear steps, templates, and communication tools.
With the clarity gained thanks to my POA, I now use systems to turn overwhelm into a progressive and easy flow to advancement.
5. To Track Progress and Celebrate Wins.
No system is complete without the potential to track and measure progress. I track progress and wins in my POA for strategic and emotional reasons.
As both a mindset plan and an action plan, the POA isn’t solely about goals. It’s meant to be your guide to achieve and sustain a balanced path toward success.
When I went full-time with Ripple Effect Leadership, I spent way too much time trying to do everything. I overcomplicated my launches, created countless content ideas I never used, and burned myself out.
Once I simplified my process and created a realistic POA, I saw real progress — and more importantly, I felt in control of my business again. Less stress meant more joyful and rewarding days.
Join My January Workshop And Create Your POA
Want to take your Plan of Awesomeness (POA) to the next level?
In my workshop, Creative Planning to Stay Organized, you’ll join me and other solopreneurs on January 27th for a live, hands-on session where I’ll guide you step-by-step to create a POA tailored to your biz. Join here before time runs out!
The workshop takes place on Monday, January 27 at 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm EST.
Together, we’ll map out your top three goals for the year, break them into actionable milestones, and ensure everything aligns with your core values. It’s all about making 2025 your most organized and impactful year yet.
New Freebie Alert!
I recently released Juggling All the Hats: A Solopreneur’s Guide to Leading Yourself With Clarity and Action, so you can take charge of your biz and see real progress.
