How to Be Successful at Quarterly Planning
Before I started doing any planning and goal setting, I was drifting around, letting others decide my priorities.
With Quarterly Plans you set goals you will be proud of and then step through the process to accomplish them.
The 90-day time horizon is ideal for setting appropriately sized goals. We overestimate what we can accomplish in a short time frame (day or week), and we underestimate what we can do in a long time-frame (year).
Quarterly Plans have five phases in common. The first happens once at the beginning, and you can revise it annually or when big changes occur. The repeating quarterly process is to cycle through the second through fifth phases every quarter.
Phase 1: Define your vision Think about and write down an overarching theme or direction, based on your values. The important thing is that you’re looking far into the future and at what you truly value in the long term
Phase 2: Situational awareness Assess where you are in your life or work. Review what has been done in the past quarter. Identify your current pain points
Phase 3: Goal definition Brainstorm your goal ideas. Ask yourself, Where do I want to be in 90 days? Refine the goal and write it down. Write down why it’s important for you to achieve that goal
Phase 4: Break goals down into pieces that can be accomplished This is usually daily actions and/or weekly and monthly milestones
Phase 5: Execute and monitor progress Maintain accountability and track progress to see if adjustments are needed. Celebrate wins along the way