✍️ Desk of Amy Suto: Planning Your Six-Figure Year
What you need to do now to set yourself up for a six-figure year.
Happy Sunday! In today’s newsletter, you’ll read about…
✍️ My New Year business planning and what I’m prioritizing
☕️ What great entrepreneurs do to spring clean their systems each year
😎 How I help fellow writer-entrepreneurs recover from burnout and reach their goals
📖 3-Minute Story: How to Plan Your Six-Figure Year
Thwack! My arrow flew through the crisp spring air, just grazing the balloon on the bullseye of the target. Damn — so close!
It had been nearly a decade since I trained with the USC Archery Team, but I blamed my near-miss on my lack of caffeine that morning. (Espresso makes your aim better, in case you haven't heard!)
I was spending the day with my nomad friends at Llao Llao, a legendary spa here in Patagonia. We had gotten to the resort early to soak in the views of surrounding snow-capped mountains and were enjoying an archery lesson before our spa treatments later that day: 90-minute hot stone massages complete with breathtaking views of the mountains — all for a fraction of what we would have paid back in the US.
I’m traveling with a group of nomads from several different countries, many of whom are entrepreneurs. As our spa day came to a close and we started our drive back to our cabins, we turned to the topic of planning our upcoming year for our businesses.
“How do you stay focused?” One of my friends asked me.
I thought about it, still basking in the post-spa glow. “It helps to have an accountability partner or group — but what you really need are good systems.”
It was true: distractions are everywhere. If you’re a nomad like me, there are constant adventures vying for your attention. Even if you just work from home, it’s easy to step away from your computer to do laundry, tidy up, cook food, online shop…
If you work for yourself, you need metrics to keep yourself on track. A six-figure year could look like selling $300 worth of products or services each day, or $8,400 of business each month at a minimum. Setting benchmarks for both your habits — and your earning goals — is essential.
As we head into the New Year, here are some of the things I’m thinking about as a writer-entrepreneur for my planning ahead of 2024:
Find accountability to make good habits stick. Staying motivated starts with the architecture of your day. I’ll be in Buenos Aires in January, and I’ve already made a pact with a friend to stay consistent in my yoga practice by going to classes regularly with her. For the habits you want to stay consistent in, getting an accountability partner is a great first step!
Journal about your ideal workday and work backward with habits and strategies from there. Last year, my schedule was inundated with client and potential client meetings. I felt stretched thin, and wanted more uninterrupted deep work time. So this year I made a switch to fewer, higher-paying client projects — with a focus on memoir ghostwriting! — and my ideal workday came to fruition. Next year, my focus will be more on developing my businesses built around products — specifically an app as well as a few high-value digital products.
Get clear about your ideal audience. When I launched this newsletter over the summer, I thought my ideal audience was made up of traditional authors and freelancers who wanted to maximize their income. Over time, I realized the audience I can serve the best are writer-entrepreneurs: freelancers, authors, and business owners who love to skill-stack and attract cashflowing opportunities using a number of channels and methods. This unlocked a new level of my content and what I share with y’all here!
Planning for a six-figure year for 2024 begins with an honest year-in-review and ends with strategies to help you get closer to your goals.
Need some help setting up your New Year for success? I have a great track record of helping fellow writer-entrepreneurs recover from burnout and reach higher heights in their business through my one-on-one coaching offering.
✨ 2 Quotes to Inspire You
"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." – Walt Disney
"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do." – Steve Jobs
✍️ 1 Journal Prompt for Reflection
Write yourself a letter as if you are “you” from the end of 2024 and you’re telling you of right now everything you’ve accomplished and how great life is. What does you of a year from now do every day? What are they excited about? What hard lessons did they have to learn to get to where they are? What does their every day look like? Feel like? Luxuriate in the vision of your ideal future.
Feel free to share your reflections in the comments:
💻 New Blog Posts on AmySuto.com
🎙 New From the Desk of Amy Suto Podcast Episodes
I create these podcast episodes from my blog archives using the tool Wondercraft AI, a text-to-speech tool that speaks in YOUR voice. 🎙 Use my code SUTO50 or this link to get 50% off your Wondercraft AI subscription! (paid/affiliate link)
📚 New Chapters of My Thriller Novel Let Me Be Your Ghost
🎥 Video of the Week: Month 5: Growing My Substack to $96k/Year
Slow and steady wins the race! Updates on my growth here on Substack in one of my latest YouTube videos:
📸 Photo of the Week: Archery and Spa Days in Patagonia
I’ve been loving my time here in Patagonia — especially as I (finally!) recovered after catching two separate colds.
Follow me on X/Twitter or Instagram for more!
⚡️ Upcoming Wednesday Edition: How I Charge $50,000-$70,000 Per Memoir as a Ghostwriter
This Wednesday, ✍️ From the Desk of Amy Suto paid subscribers will get an exclusive issue about…
✨ What goes into the process of ghostwriting high-end memoirs
🧪 How authors can invest in writing successful books
📚 How my author clients find me and why they decide to work with me
Sending creativity and good writing vibes your way,
-Amy