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You’ve likely experienced the excitement that comes when you create an annual business development plan—followed by the inevitable frustration when June (or even February!) rolls around and you realize you’ve hardly made a dent in it. The problem isn’t the plan itself. It’s that the plan sits iidle—too big and too vague to translate into actionable day-to-day steps.
A more effective approach is a weekly—and sometimes even daily—business development to-do list. By breaking your annual goals into actionable, bite-sized tasks, you can stay focused, build momentum, and experience those small “wins” that keep you motivated.
Why Long-Term Plans Often Falter
Annual plans tend to be long and ambitious, including everything from client outreach targets and networking events to speaking engagements and publishing goals. While vision is crucial, trying to tackle too many large objectives at once can quickly paralyze any forward progress.
A plan might say, “Develop relationships with three new referral sources this year.” But unless you have a weekly or monthly to-do item—like “Invite X for coffee,” or “Attend the Bar Association networking event”—you’re less likely to follow through.
The Power of a To-Do List (and Checking It Off)
Research shows that writing down goals and tasks can significantly improve follow-through. For instance, a well-known study by Dr. Gail Matthews at the Dominican University of California found that people who wrote down their tangible goals and shared updates with a friend were 33% more successful in achieving them than those who simply formulated goals in their heads.
In addition, Harvard Business Review has published insights on how the sense of making progress—no matter how small—fuels our motivation. This concept, sometimes referred to as the “Progress Principle” (coined by Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer), highlights how important it is for professionals to see frequent, measurable advances in their work. Each checked-off item creates a quick, gratifying sense of accomplishment, making you more likely to tackle the next one.
How to Build a Weekly To-Do List for Business Development
Start with Your Larger Goals
Review your annual plan (or create one if you haven’t) and break each major goal into smaller tasks. If your goal is “Increase referral sources,” list the specific steps: researching new contacts, attending a particular luncheon, scheduling coffee with a professional in a complementary practice area, etc.
Prioritize
Pick a few tasks that are crucial for the week and put them at the top of your list. Being selective is essential: if your list is too long or too ambitious, you risk falling back into overwhelm.
Make It Visible
Whether you use a digital task manager or a simple sticky note, ensure your list is in plain sight. Seeing the tasks (and crossing them off) activates the reward centers in your brain and keeps your goals front and center.
Celebrate Small Wins
Each time you mark a task complete, pause for a moment to acknowledge it. This recognition helps build positive momentum.
Gaining Momentum from Small Wins
It’s easy to underestimate how powerful small successes can be. When you see visible progress—like completed to-do items—it triggers a sense of accomplishment that can energize you to do more. And with business development, momentum is everything. A coffee meeting today can lead to a referral next month. A follow-up phone call this week can keep you top-of-mind for a client’s new project.
Closing Thoughts
The beauty of a weekly business development to-do list is its simplicity and immediacy. By focusing on smaller, more frequent wins, you sustain the motivation needed for long-term growth. Instead of letting an annual plan loom over you—or get lost in a database—break it down, check it off, and build momentum that helps you grow your business.
Jay Harrington is president of our agency, a published author, and nationally-recognized expert in thought-leadership marketing.
From strategic planning to writing, podcasting, video marketing, and design, Jay and his team help lawyers and law firms turn expertise into thought leadership, and thought leadership into new business. Get in touch to learn more about the consulting and coaching services we provide. You can reach Jay at jay@hcommunications.biz.