The 12 Week Year

So I’m trying this, and I’m into my second “12 Week Year”.

Here’s the idea: I used to approach goals with “annual thinking”. I set New Year’s Resolutions in January, then notice in December that I’m falling short (if I remember them at all!). The middle part of the year consisted largely of “coasting” with respect to my goals.

What if I compress that time frame? Instead of having a 12-month year, I have a 12-week “year”. Each week is now like a month, each day is now like a week.

I set three or four (not too many!) attainable goals for 12 weeks from today. Every Monday, I assess how I am doing on reaching those goals. Each day, I establish three big goals to complete for that day that contribute to those main goals for the 12 Week Year.

The promise is “Get more done in 12 weeks than others do in 12 months.”

So how did my first “year” go? Well, I reached two of my goals, I almost reached one, and totally failed on one. I consider my first “year” a success, though.

If you do the calendar math, there’s a 13th week. That’s the time to evaluate and set new goals. So I tackled that last goal and came up with new tactics to achieve it.

Now I’m in the second week of my second 12 Week Year, and I’m doing very well on that goal. My new tactics are working!

What’s coachable here? Lots of things! Which goals are most important to me? What are the best tactics to reach a given goal? How can I make this goal a challenge, yet also achievable?

So if you’re a “productivity junkie” like me, check out the book or the website. I’ve found it very helpful.