I am all for helpful technology but I must admit, my best tools for mapping out a bold + meaningful finish to 2022 include the basics: pen, paper, and calendar!
If you are deciding new goals for the quarter (or any time frame, really), consider these five steps:
1. Dream. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and envision yourself at the end of the quarter. What are you celebrating? How are you feeling? What have you achieved or moved forward that delights you? Relish in that space for a few moments.
2. Jot down all possibilities. Pull out a good ol’ notebook and pen and start writing all the ideas that came to your mind. Don’t worry about what’s actually possible at this point (see yesterday’s blog for a primer on that!) – just get the ideas recorded.
3. Prioritize. Now consider your current reality: What’s most important to you at this time in your life? What events (vacations, conferences, holidays, etc) may impact your time or progress in the upcoming quarter? What calls to you now, and what can wait? Narrow down to your top-tier goals (typically one to three of them).
4. Plan. For each of your goals, create the action plan to move you from here to there. Keep resources, milestones, and other considerations in mind. (A coach can provide excellent support in this!)
5. Schedule. Here’s where your calendar comes in. Schedule milestones, touchpoints, what needs to happen and when. You can incorporate dates into the previous step, but if you refer to your calendar on a daily or weekly basis, I highly recommend putting your actions directly there so you see them regularly.
Personally, I’m not sure I’d ever accomplish anything if I didn’t journal it out first! 🙂
Are there other steps you would add? What is one goal you plan to achieve in Q4? Share your thoughts and comments below!