Designing Your Next Chapter:

Get Clear on Your Side Business Vision (Without the New Year Noise)

There’s something about early January that makes your brain want to do two opposite things at once.

Part of you wants a fresh start. A clean page. A new plan.

And another part of you is tired before you’ve even opened your laptop – because you’ve seen the “new year, new me” circus before.

You know the vibe: fresh planners, colour-coded goals, a vision board that implies you’ll be doing Zoom calls from a beach while drinking something green.

If you’re growing a service-based side business alongside a day job, you don’t need glittery goals.

You need a clearer picture of what you actually want your business to become – and what this year needs to do to move you closer.

Not a perfect five-year plan.

Not a rigid checklist.

A next-chapter vision: a simple, honest snapshot of the work life you want, and the role your business will play in it.

This article will help you sketch that out, and how to turn it into a grounded focus for the next 90 days.

Why “new year, new me” isn’t enough

Most goal-setting starts with: What do you want to achieve this year?

That question can be useful… but only if it’s connected to a bigger direction.

If it’s not, you could end up setting goals based on what sounds impressive, or what you think you “should” do:

• Launch a course
• Post every day
• Grow your list to 1,000
• Go viral (because apparently that’s a business strategy now)

None of these are inherently bad.

But if you don’t know where you’re heading, you can spend a lot of energy chasing goals that look good on paper, but still end the year feeling… oddly unchanged.

So instead of starting with a long list of goals for this year, start with a different question:

What do you want your business to become in the next chapter of your work life?

Once you have even a sketchy rough answer, it becomes much easier to decide what deserves your time, your energy, and your attention.

Why your next-chapter vision is different in midlife

Your vision isn’t being created in a vacuum.

You’re likely juggling a job that pays the bills, real-life responsibilities, and a limited energy budget that doesn’t respond well to the hustle your face off culture.

You also have something now that you didn’t have in your 20s:

Perspective.

You know what “success” cost you before.

You know what you’re not willing to sacrifice again.

You’ve probably outgrown the idea that you need to push harder to deserve good things.

So your next-chapter vision needs to be a whole-life vision. One that:

• works in part-time hours (at least for now)
• is financially realistic
• honours your values
• supports your wellbeing and key relationships

Your business can absolutely become your path to more freedom and independence. It just needs to be designed in a way that fits the life you have right now.

Now lets get your vision out of your head and onto paper – without pressure or drama.

A simple way to clarify your side business vision: the 5Ms

You don’t need every detail nailed down. You just need a clear enough picture that you can make decisions aligned to what you really want this year.

Here’s a simple framework I use: the 5Ms of the Solo Business Blueprint.

Use these prompts to create a “Future You” snapshot – not perfection, just direction.

1) Method: how do you want to work?

• What are you offering that aligns to what you want to be known for?
• What would a good, typical week look like?

2) Marketing: how do you want to connect with clients?

• How do you actually want to be visible (e.g. writing, relationships, LinkedIn, workshops) versus what feels like a weird, awkward costume that’s not in your colour palette?
• What would “simple and sustainable” promotional activity look like in your week?

3) Money: what does “well paid” mean to you?

• What would you want your business to bring in each month as your main work?
• How do you want to feel about money (calm, consistent, spacious)?

4) Mindset: who are you becoming?

• Who do you need to ‘be’ to really back yourself and your business?
• What pattern are you leaving behind?

5) Momentum: what rhythm will help you follow through?

• What weekly ‘Business Hours’ rhythm would be realistic in your current season?
• What “productive” habit keeps you stuck (hello endless email checking or behind the scenes procrasta-working)?

Your Side Business Vision Snapshot (20 minutes, this week)

Set a timer for 20 minutes. Fast forward 3–5 years and answer the 5Ms questions above.

Once you’ve done that, underline, or create one sentence that feels like the truth – that’s your next-chapter horizon line.

Examples:

• “I want consistent $5K months from one clear offer.”
• “I want to reduce my job days within the next 18 months.”
• “I want clients to come from relationships and referrals, not constant posting.”

That one line sentence becomes your future focused mantra.

Bring it back to this year: your side business focus

Once you have even a rough shape for your next-chapter vision, ask:

If that’s where you want to be in a few years, what needs to be more true by the end of this year?

For example:

• If your vision includes reducing job days, this year might need to build more consistent income.
• If your vision includes doing more of a specific type of work, this year might need to simplify and strengthen one core offer.
• If your vision includes feeling calmer and more confident, this year might need to focus on foundations and routines, not adding more projects.

You don’t need 15 goals. You need one clear focus that supports your next chapter.

Examples:

• Build consistent $3–5K months (or more!)
• Fill and refine your main 1:1 offer
• Create a simple lead pipeline you can repeat

From your big ‘One Day’ vision to 90-day projects (where real change actually happens)

Big vision is motivating. But real momentum comes from action.

A simple path looks like this:

Big Vision → This Year’s Focus → Next 90 Days → Weekly Rhythm

Here’s an example – swap in your own details:

Big vision (3–5 years):

“I want my side business to be my main work so I can reduce my job days and work for myself.”

This year’s focus:

“Build consistent $3–5K months from one clear offer.”

Next 90 days:

• tighten your offer so it’s easy to explain and buy
• choose one lead channel that fits your personality
• set a weekly target for conversations (not just content)

Weekly rhythm:

• one visibility action (post, email, short video – choose one)
• two reach-outs or follow-ups
• one CEO check-in (15 minutes to review – do more of what’s working and less of what’s not)

Your side business doesn’t grow from the occasional big push.

It grows from small, steady actions you can repeat – even with part-time hours.

You don’t have to figure out how to grow your side business on your own

If you’d like support turning your vision into a practical plan, you can book a Transit Talk and we’ll explore whether private coaching is the right next step for you.

Book Your Transit Talk Here

Here’s to being your own boss.

Shandra