My Personal Curriculum and The 12 Week Year

My Personal Curriculum and The 12 Week Year

        It has been awhile since I've read The 12 Week Year , by Brian Moran, but to sum it up, he discusses completing goals in a 12 week period (aka: quarterly) to become more productive. Essentially, he talks about being able to get so many more goals completed in one year because you're treating each quarter or 12 week period as if it was one year.

       So obviously, some goals just wouldn't fit within that time period. I'm thinking about savings goals (it might take more time than just 12 weeks to save for a vacation, or a big ticket item for example).

       If we talk about goals in terms of maintenance goals (these are goals that are continuous and do not have an end date. Examples of this might be trying to create new habits around health - think working out, taking your vitamins, or daily meditation.

       Sometimes it's easier to think about the 12 week goal system in terms of end goals - things that have a finite finish line. (Although I think it's completely fine to have a time period for mainenance goals as well). You simply continue the same goal into the next 12 week period.

         For me, I relate to the 12 week year in that my 90 Day Cultivate What Matters Goal Planner is created to use in a period of 90 days. (Aproxximately 12 weeks). Most of the goals that I've detailed in my goal planner are maintenance goals. (i.e. I'm trying to maintain my happiness and contentment levels by prioritizing my self care). I do have habits within this personal curriculum project I've created like tidy my workspace after each work session (or at the end of the day). I want to take a bath at least once a week. I want to learn more, so am reading non-fiction books to further my personal or professional development. I also want to incorporate an Artist Date into my schedule each week so that I can feel fulfilled by creating something fun and interesting. 

       

HOW MY GOAL PLANNER HELPS ME: 

      This planner is similar to the annual Cultivate What Matters Goal Planner in that it still has a monthly reset page along with a tending list. However, I'm treating it as more of a monthly overview of what I want to accomplish. The tending list helps me track the habits I want to build over this 12 week period.

       I have only committed to one quarter because once the busy season approaches, I might not have time to do some of the things. Despite really wanting to continue everything, It's not always possible, especially when you have multiple kids and they start going to school. (Although you never know - both my school age kids will be in full time school this year, so that might actually help!) 

     The experts do say that it takes about 60 days to create a habit, so maybe by the time I'm done the quarter, the habits will be so ingrained that maybe they'll stick around! Here's hoping!

 

      The weekly section of this goal planner helps me really plan out how I'm going to attack the sections of my project. I can lay out all the pieces and see how it fits into the week. 

      Trying to remember to open the planner is another challenge! Either checking off the tasks each day on the tending list, or adding the weekly tasks to my main planner. I think I don't have enough room in my main Franklin planner to add any more tasks! 

       At the time of writing, I'm well within the period of trying to accomplish the daily habits and I find I'm still struggling. I don't know how it happens, but I still find I'm super busy each day, despite it being summer holidays. We are in the first two weeks of the holidays and I haven't had too much time to focus on my personal curriculum, or even really to start planning it out!

      I think I will add the daily habit of checking off the tending list to my morning routine, along with checking my annual goal planner. That seems to be the best time and it's always a good idea to try and build a habit along with something else you already do regularly. (This is called habit stacking). 

      As for the weekly planning, I think I will tackle this on Thursdays, when I plan my weeks. I won't be showing it on YouTube, as it's more of a personal project, but it's a good time to plan the upcoming week because I'll see all the appointments and commitments I have for the upcoming period. 

      Thanks for following along once again. I will check in at the end of the season to let you know how I did and if I decided to continue any part of the personal curriculum! Maybe I can change it up for next time! 

See you next time! 

Sandra 

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