Work Your Best Laid Quarterly Plan
“Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I’ll spend the first four sharpening the axe.” – Abraham Lincoln
Half way through the year already! I hope you are halfway to meeting all your goals for the year, and ready to tackle the next six months.
Plan, Plan and Plan Again
Time is finite. You need to know exactly where to invest your hours and energy to get the results you actually want. You need to know which opportunities to focus on now, and what to let go or mark for the future. Without a plan, it’s far too easy to get distracted and focus on too many things at once, spreading your efforts thin and achieving fewer goals. (Your Oxygen Mask First, Chapter 17)
In my book I talk about the importance of a solid, one-page Master Plan for your work, self and life – and mapping out mid-range and near-term goals every quarter.
It’s now time to stop, reflect and assess what you’ve achieved, so far this year, and to figure out what you need to do for the rest of 2018
Coach Kevin’s Challenge
Download the Quarterly Plan worksheets here or refer to pages 97 and 98 of my Your Oxygen Mask First Workbook. Block out 30 minutes.
PAGE 1: In the first 10 minutes, reflect on your work, self and life in the last 90 days.
Think of this as your report card, self-assessment or personal performance review.
- List the biggest achievements in work, self and life in the last 90 days.
List the biggest challenges or disappoints and note why.
- Passion ratio: How much of your best energy or passion did you invest in work, self and life?
Think of a tank of oxygen you would use to climb a mountain: how much (what percentage) did you breathe for work, self and life? This isn’t about showing up – this is about dedicating your best thinking and energy:
- What would have been ideal to be your best?
If you were happy with what you did, you might pick the same numbers. But if you don’t feel right about it – think of this as a recalibration exercise – how much would you have ideally dedicated?
- Constant Improvement: What do you need to start or stop keeping doing to stay on track?
- Look back to your Master Plan to what you want to achieve. What do you need to adjust? Think of it as a chef seasoning a dish – little more salt a little more pepper…
PAGE 2: Plan for the next 90 days
- Based on your reflections, how much of your best energy do you want to spend on your work, self and life?
For me, this is different in summer. Since I spend the majority of my time with my family, I spend more on life. I’m going to run 40/20/40 on work, self and life, during this time – very different to my normal of 70/10/20.
- Your #1 project: If you only had one goal this Quarter, what is the single most valuable thing you can achieve in the next 90 days, for work, self and life?
So, basically, you have three goals.
- What else is important?
if you have extra oxygen, when #1 is done, what else would you do?
- Toads: What are the little, non-strategic things you’ve been procrastinating on that are weighing you down? (Chapter 5 of Your Oxygen Mask First)
- Habit to start: What do you need to improve on this Quarter and how?
Look at the 17 habits in the book, or re-do the Self-Assessment, to help you figure it out.
- Download the Self-Assessment
- Short videos on the 17 habits
- Stop: Based on your goals, if there’s one thing you’re going to stop doing, what would it be?
- Actions: Now you have a plan, what are you going to do to get a jump on it? List 3-5 actions that you will make happen today or tomorrow to get a jump start on your goals for Work, self and life.
Hope you had a great quarter and that the next 90 days are incrementally better.
Make it so!
Best,
Kevin