Hello, my friends. Welcome to another episode of uncomplicating business. I am Sara Torpey, and I wanted to call this episode three plans walk into a bar. I'm not sure that's exactly what the title will be when it actually gets a title because I'm sure Google wouldn't like that, or maybe it would, I don't know. But today, what we're going to talk about is three kinds of plans. 

And the reason we're going to talk about these three kinds of plans is because in January this year, 2026 I have been talking about all kinds of plannings with clients and friends and my kids and for myself. And what I've noticed and become fairly convinced of is there's really three kinds of plans that we all need to have. So what we're going to do today is talk through these three kinds of plans. I think of them as the meta plan, the mini plan and the accountability plan and why they matter and how to start them. And then we're gonna, you're gonna go make them, or, you know, find a way to help yourself make them, because they are the things that will help guide you through the year. 

Before I jump in there, what I want to do is talk to you a little, take one second and talk to you about where the podcast is going this year, because we are in January and it's a new year and it's a new season. And so what we are going to do this year is really focus on what I think of as the four buckets. They are really the foundational elements of what I teach as a coach and facilitator and business partner and collaborator, and in all the things I do, they are ground plan, connect and sell. And for me, what I have really come to see and understand through all the patterns that I look at and all the things I do is that these are the four core elements of success in business, if you are grounded, if you are planning, if you are connected and if you are selling, most of everything is going to work. What we're going to do on this podcast is really talk about the what's in the whys of grounding and planning and connecting and selling. 

We are going to have guests once a month, and sort of an in between Episode once a month here, where we talk about what's And why's, and then with the guests, we're going to do there's what's And why's like coming a little later in February is my friend Stacey andon to talk about grounding with us. And then there are going to be conversations about, sort of the nitty gritty details of how to do all these things. And those are going to be happening in the uncomplicating Business Lab. If you want to get into the house, come join us in the lab, because that's really where we're going to do the give and take and the conversations about, I tried this, this is what worked. I tried this. I got stuck. It's where all the coaching can happen. And it really matters to me that we get the opportunity to do that. So when you want to get into the details and into the like, Okay, I'm trying to implement this, and I keep getting stuck, the uncomplicating Business Lab is where you can bring all of those things. 

We're going to do all kinds of good stuff in there. In February, we're doing 20 days of grounding. Stacey is going to come in and do nitty gritty grounding with us. We're going to talk about all the deep details there. We're doing monthly goal setting and planning. We're doing monthly evaluations. We're doing a little tiny book club this book this month, we're bringing our own books that grounded us and sharing them. Good Lord, there's a ton of stuff happening. And so really, this month it's all things grounding. Next month it's going to be all things connecting, and you're going to get a ton out of it, and it's not at a super expensive price. So if you're interested in joining the lab, you go to Torpey coaching, com forward slash the lab, T, H, E, L, A, B, and you can get all the details. I'd love to see you in there with us sooner than later, right? Because we might as well start the year grounded. So now let's get into planning. 

There are, I think, three kinds of plans that we all need. I said this before, the meta plan, the mini plan and the accountability plan. So the way I was thinking about this is the meta plan is like your big plan, right? It's your where am I going? So the question I'd ask you myself, if I was you or you can ask yourself, because you are you, is what's my destination, right? Think about it within a time period. So maybe it's where am I trying to. Get to by the end of 2026 where am I trying to get to in 2028 where am I trying to get to in March depends on, you know, how big you want your meta plan to be, right? Where am I trying to go? Then the mini plan is how you'll get there, right? It is the actual step by step, right? So maybe just use an example I use all the time. 

Maybe we're headed to the grocery store, and I my destination is the giant food market down the street from my house. Okay, that is my destination. When I get to the mini part of the plan, it's like, okay, am I going to drive the car? Am I going to walk? Am I going to bring my reusable bags? Am I going to tell my family where I'm going? Am I going in the morning, or am I going at night? How many things am I going to have to carry? Right? It's all of the details. 

Do I remember to bring my list? The answer to that is never. That's why I'm not in charge of the grocery shopping here in the Torpey household, for the most part, because I don't I'm not good at that. How will I get there? What are all the underlying actions I need to take to get what's at my destination, the grocery store, and having the food I want to make for dinner is the destination right now I want to do all of the things to get there. And then the accountability plan is really the like, how will I stay on track? Because here's what happens. We get part way to the destination, and we're like, oh, man, I was supposed to go to the post office. Wait, so what if I go to the post office? I do this inside of my house all the time, right? You do this where you go upstairs to get socks? I don't know. In my house, I go upstairs to get socks. I did this literally. 

Yesterday. Went upstairs to get socks. I brushed my teeth, I put away my laundry, I cleaned up a little bit, I made my bed, I did a couple other things. I came downstairs no socks. I went upstairs to get socks, not to do any of those other things. I got off track, and I didn't have anything to keep me accountable, like sometimes, if I'm going upstairs to get socks, I do it right away, because the dog is waiting for me and we're going for a walk.

 Yesterday, we were in a blizzard, and the dog wasn't waiting for me. My feet were just cold, and that wasn't enough accountability, quite honestly. So for you, it's like, okay, how will I stay on track? What are the systems I need? What are the tools I want to use. Are there things that I'm actually tracking? Do I need some outside in accountability, somebody to remind me that it's like, Hey, this is where you're headed, right? That helps all of us do? I need something else, right? What are the versions of accountability that will help me get to my destination, follow my steps and stay on my timeline, right? So for you pause, give yourself a little time. It's like, where are you headed? What is your meta plan? What's your goal right now, in your mini plan, it's what are the kinds of things you can do that will help you get there. Now you can pull those out into the four buckets. It's like, how are the what are the things I'm going to do? What are the things I'm going to do to stay grounded? What are the planning steps I need to take day to day, week to week, month to month? What are the things I'm going to do to be and stay connected, and grow my network of connections.

 And then what are the things I'm going to do to sell and share what I have, right? Those are the buckets in which the actions live. And then you can break those down into here are my daily tasks, or my weekly tasks. I'm a weekly girl. I can't look I can't have you be like, This is what you do on Tuesdays. My brain doesn't work like that, and so I don't fight that. It's like, here's my list for the week, and they all happen at some point. 

Then when it's the accountability plan for me, for example, in my mini plan, one of the things I need to do is some direct outreaches to people about the lab, people I know would be interested that I want to make sure see it, and that is not something I ever just a, it doesn't occur to me. And B, it's uncomfortable, so I tend to avoid it, so I have some accountability that's coming from outside in with somebody who's checking in on me with it that I pay, who is helping me make sure I get those things done. Because for me, that one really hard thing feels hard. It doesn't take any time. It's not actually hard, which makes me crazy. Just feels hard. It's uncomfortable. That thing is the thing that. I need additional accountability for. So like, there are things I do no problem. Like, I'm always going to send the email to my list. I'm always going to record the podcast. These are things that I don't need an extra accountability for, but what I do need is extra accountability to do things that make me uncomfortable. 

So think about the things that make you uncomfortable and what kind of accountability you might need, because none of us are meant to do it alone. Then when you have all three kinds of plans, it's like, okay, now I can step through implementation, because not only do I have step by step, but I know where I'm going, and I have the resources that are going to back me up when I inevitably wander off track, because that's what human brains do. We love side quests, and that's okay, but having you know boundaries right are what keeps us from our side quests. So some side quests are okay, but we can't always be on a side quest, because then we're just side Questers, and that's not a business. 

That's side quest. So for you, ask yourselves those questions, and if you want to sort through them, come on into the lab. Because really, that's the place that we're going to touch this day in and day out all the time when we are in the lab, I told you what's going on in the next couple of weeks. The next episode of the podcast is going to be my dear friend Stacey andon that will be out in two weeks. If you have questions for me, always reach out. 

You can find me on LinkedIn. My Facebook group is closing at the end of the month in February, so that is no longer going to be a place to visit. So if you're not on my email list, which is where all the best stuff goes or in the lab, which is even better. Please pick one of those two places and follow along here in the podcast, because all of that is going to matter. Stay in touch. Stay warm. Hopefully you live somewhere that's warmer than where I am, and I will talk to you all in two weeks