Turn Q1 Misses Into Second Quarter Wins: The 5 Step System To Master Your Next 3 Months (FREE Goal Sheets)
Are you as surprised as I am by how fast this year is going? Even my bookkeeper was blindsided when the month of March approached!
You most likely had business and personal goals you planned to meet this quarter.
I did, too. And, truth be told, I didn’t meet all of them.
Because of those missed deadlines, I once would have beaten myself up with negative self talk. I would have played the “game of comparisons”; measuring myself up to those who appear to have it all together.
But, recently, it’s been a different story for me. I’m not disappointed when I fall short of my goals. And I don’t have any anxiety about not accomplishing them.
For those of you who are wondering, it’s not because I’ve gone soft and cut myself too much slack.
I feel in control of my goals because I finally accepted the truth.
Even the most focused among us, get knocked off course.
I expected to get off track, and I planned for it.
I now have a system and a routine in place that allows me to trust that it’ll all get done.
Here’s what I did to create that for myself and you can do it, too.
Back in January I expected to NOT be quite on track at the end of March.
Recognizing this, I planned my re-entry point and scheduled time in my planner to do my quarterly review.
Unlike resolutions that are often set and forgotten,
Combining an effective system with a built in pause,
assures our goals will be achieved.
The problem is, most of us don’t even recognize that we’ve gotten off track!
With our lives on autopilot, we mindlessly tick off our daily list of to-do’s, rarely aware of how far we've gotten from our original goal.
I get it. We’re busy. Really busy.
Today’s culture views the act of pausing as a waste of time.
Yet, I’m asking you to challenge that belief.
Science shows us that the most productive people take regular breaks to think and create.
It’s been reported that Albert Einstein developed the theory of relativity while riding his bicycle!
As science writer Ferris Jabor summarizes, “Downtime replenishes the brain’s stores of attention and motivation, encourages productivity and creativity, and is essential to both achieve our highest levels of performance and simply form stable memories in everyday life.”
Learning to pause, in the moment, is the key to a productive life.
When we take the time to pause and assess what we’ve experienced, (whether it’s a meeting at work, a vacation or Q1) we have the opportunity to learn from our mistakes and recognize our wins.
So, this morning, even though I was taken by surprise at how fast the year’s progressing, I was also optimistic. I had confidence that my regular quarterly review was planned. There was comfort in relying on that system to stop any potential slides, and continue to create momentum.
The system I use is the Living Fully Balanced Process™. I developed it with a simple, cyclical rhythm in mind.
It can be incorporated into a daily routine, taking no more than 5 minutes.
Or, as I implemented today, the process can be expanded, offering a review of the entire past quarter and a plan for the upcoming one.
Here are the exact planning sheets I use for my own Quarterly Review. Click to grab your free Goal Sheets here.
However, before you grab them, here’s an overview of the Living Fully Balanced™ Process and Quarterly Review.
ASSESS
Look back and record what made you proud.
List what didn’t go as well as you’d hoped.
Recall what you learned through those challenges.
Identify what you want/need to let go of.
ENVISION
Look back on the goals you set for yourself at the beginning of the year.
Be agile and willing to tweak them, if needed.
Recognize that you may need to drop an original goal, for something better.
CLARIFY
Choose the most important goals you will focus on during this quarter.
Identify why these are essential for you now.
ENERGIZE
Plan for things that energize and renew you.
Schedule them now.
FOCUS
Identify resources you already have in place that will help you rise after a fall.
List additional resources you may need to keep the momentum going. (enrolling in additional classes, hiring a mentor or coach, adjusting your physical environment to support your new goals)
Schedule regular breaks in the action for thinking and creating.
We acknowledge the ebb and flow of the ocean. We don’t think any less of its power during low tide.
Our lives have a similar rhythm.
When we take the time to pause and gain perspective, we’ll see just how powerful the last three months have been and how many more possibilities are available to us during the remaining three quarters.
Lisa Bobyak, Life Balance Consultant, Personal Leadership Coach and founder of Living Fully Balanced, has been elevating the performance, perspective and peace of mind of high-achieving professionals on the brink of burnout for nearly a decade. Through her Living Fully Balanced™ methodology, she equips her clients with both the self-awareness and planning tools to thrive in our fast-paced, work-driven society. Her inspiring and educational presentations challenge the current hustle culture and offer strategies to prevent burnout and create balance. Lisa is the mastermind behind the transformative Love Your Life Again program. She’s also the author of 7 Days to Loving Your Life Again and the creator of the Living Fully Balanced Life Planner™.