I’m not really sure why the term Black Friday caught on in the retail world, but I do know that it’s an important day for retailers to gauge what the holiday, and to some degree year, is going be like.

For years I’ve marked the weekend following Thanksgiving with my own holiday I call Rosy Monday. Rosy Monday is the day that I typically take a good long look at what I’ve accomplished for the year, relative to my goals, and a first pass at my vision for the next three to five years. It’s my forecasting day.

Whether you choose to pick this same day or not, I believe it’s absolutely crucial for small business owners to step back at least one day out of the year and, with total focus, chart their course, correct their course, or create a much grander course with a true rosy sense of “what’s possible.” In big companies they call this strategic planning, but I’m talking about doing something that will energize you and your staff – call it what you like, just do it.

My feeling is that if you never access some quiet time and lock yourself away for a day with this kind of focus you will always be slave to the whims of the squeaky wheel. Every small business I’ve ever come across has lots of maddening, noisy wheels.

Shut out all of the noise for just one day, give yourself that gift, and come out swinging with a crystal clear picture of where your business is headed, what action steps are required and what’s got to change in order to make the picture real.

So, what’s your version of the Rosy Monday?