Forget about the last quarter of the year and focus on September.

September has arrived and, with it, that time of year when it seems that everyone starts to do the math. 

• How many deals are left to close? 
• How many fundraisers do we need to get?  
• How long is it to achieve the goals?
• And how are we going to fit all this into the few months left until December? 

It's normal to do these maths. The problem is to enter September with your eyes set on the end of the year and be so focused on the result that you forget what will create it. 

A deal that closes in November rarely started in November. 
It may have started in a review made months earlier, in an owner who said "we'll talk after the summer", in a buyer who suspended the search in July, in a recommendation that hasn't happened yet, or in a seemingly inconclusive conversation that was left somewhere in the CRM waiting for the right moment. 

And September has an interesting particularity, as it is when many of these conversations start moving again. The holidays are over, the routines and decisions that were conveniently parked in July and August begin to ask for attention again. 

So, before you look back at December and think about all the things you still have to do, it might be more helpful to ask: What can I set in motion in the next 30 days?

Not only to close the deal now, but to create opportunities for October, November, December and even the beginning of next year. Contrary to what you've been told, working well in September is not about running faster, but about understanding where it's really worth putting more energy. 🎯

"If you don't set your priorities, someone else will set them for you. Greg McKeown