As a fitness business owner, an entrepreneur, and a solopreneur, it can be hard to separate your business plan from your professional development plan. Aren’t they one and the same?

Yes, and no! Your business goals will inform your professional development goals, and vice versa. For example, if you want to grow your revenue, you’ll need to learn more about business development. If you want to learn more about online training, you should probably build that into your business plan.

Regardless of your goals, it’s important to have a sense of direction on where you are currently, where you plan to go in the future, and how that applies to your business strategy. How will you know which path to take if you don’t know where you’re headed?

This road map is also your professional development plan. In order to get to the big picture goal you must break down this goal into smaller bite size pieces which are all which are all part of your end goal.

Here’s how to build that development plan as a solopreneur.

Set your vision

Whether you’re new to the field or even have some years under your belt, you must have a clear vision built into your business model. This vision, also known as your big picture goal, will motivate you each day to propel your business forward. For some people, the goal might be reaching that six-figure salary, and for others, developing an online training revenue stream. Maybe you want to become a go-to trainer for extreme weight loss transformations!

Identify this vision, and also identify a long-term timeline for it. Think about this now, even if it’s a broad vision. It’ll keep you and your business moving in the right direction, and will guide your professional development plan.

Establish your goals

Now that you’ve got your vision, it’s time to establish some short-term goals that will support your long-term vision! If you’re feeling overwhelmed about these goals, don’t worry. They’re all individuals steps to get you to this vision and can be achieved like a checklist.

Transform your vision into actionable tasks. What needs to happen to reach a six-figure salary? You probably need multiple revenue sources, as well as profitable training rates, and a full client list!

Identify a few tasks that will support this (building up a list of potential leads would be a good start!) and set timelines for yourself.

Create a record-keeping system

To keep these goals and tasks organized, you need a planner, journal, app, or board. Write out the smaller goals and make sure you put these somewhere you will see them everyday. Whether it be on your desk, nightstand, or on your phone, you need a visual cue to prioritize this work! They might change slightly over time, which you can account for in your journal but make sure they all are in working order to support your big vision.

Implement a meeting cadence—with yourself!

Now, just like in any company, you need to schedule in some check-ins. Hold daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly meetings with yourself. In a big company, these meetings are to see where the company is, where it’s projected to go, and the tasks at hand to keep the company progressing.

Your turn! Block out time on your calendar and make these your own company meetings. Make sure you’re checking into these goals on a regular basis just as other companies do. Perhaps even a big whiteboard in your office to map out, plan, and articulate the steps you need to take to get to your vision.

Get the help you need

Once you have a strong idea of what your business is, where it needs to go, and how you’re going to get there, it’s time to establish some professional development

Pro tip: never be afraid to ask for help! There are resources everywhere… in books, podcasts, and online educational courses. Find a mentor! Hire a business coach. Join communities like Facebook groups and LinkedIn groups to meet other like-minded professionals. Do your research and outsource for help to get you to these goals accordingly. You don’t have to do it all yourself… prioritizing your time towards the most important tasks is essential.

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Alright, now it’s your turn to take control of the future of your business and your professional development to get you there. I will warn you, goal-setting is addicting. When you reach your end goal you will see how far you’ve come and continue setting more goals, eventually escalating to the top of your field of expertise.

Setting your vision and establishing the steps and process will ensure that both you and your business grow in the way you want. Unfortunately, we can’t get to this end goal overnight or by wishful thinking. To get you to your end destination, you must have a road map for your goals. Think of your professional development plan and your business strategy like a road map—use it as a guide to get you where you’re headed.