Buy or Borrow Business Edition
The 12 Week Year Review
The 12 Week Year. Get More Done in 12 Weeks Than Others Do in 12 Months. By Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington © 2013
I picked up this book upon Muchelle B’s recommendation after watching her YouTube channel. See her channel. If you follow this link, be prepared to be immersed for a few hours. Her videos are inspirational, informative, and easy to binge. Planning for 12 weeks, rather than a whole year, intrigued me and I wondered how it was different than 90 day plans. As I was reading, the realization hit that it was execution of the plan that is key. Simple, yet profound. Ideas are just that — ideas — it’s the execution that makes a difference.
“It’s not what you know; it’s not even who you know; it’s what you implement that counts.” Simple, yet not easy, or everyone would reach their goals. I found the method challenging, inspirational, and worth trying. I am writing this in week one, so if you’d like a Behind the Scenes in upcoming weeks, let me know!
Knowing I work best with a goal and a deadline, I knew this method could work for me. And, instead of looking so far into the future — December seems really far away on January 1 —the 12 week timeline has more urgency.
Some of the concepts are not new — our thoughts control our outcome — and we need an emotional connection with our goals in order to continue when we feel like giving up. The first step is to create a vision for what you want, and to focus on what you want in the key areas of your life. It’s harder than it sounds.
How often do we take the time to evaluate every aspect of our lives and intentionally make goals that align with what we really want. I found it helpful to focus on a few goals, and to really analyze how I could make it happen. Which action step would be the fastest for growth? And, clearly defining why it was important to me. There’s a few references to neuroscience, but it is written in clear, easy to understand terms.
I have been breaking down large projects into manageable tasks, including deadlines for each task and rating the energy required to complete each task. That way, if I am exhausted and unfocused, I don’t start something that is already overwhelming and challenging. Sarah Steckler of the Mindful Productivity Blog has a lot of resources in this area, and her Simple Planner is a must for me. Sarah’s website.
Breaking down goals into weekly and daily tasks is not only easier to digest, but also easier to implement, and analyze. And, the authors are realistic — that results can still be attained, with only an 85% completion level.
Time blocking, intentionality, and discipline are also keys to the success of this method. Accountability, commitment, and consistency help tie everything together.
Part II is all about implementation, and making your plan. There are guided journal prompts to help get your thoughts on paper. There’s a few sections on how this method applies to teams, which I just skimmed over, but would be helpful if you have a business of more than one. The book is a quick read, easy to digest, and can be completed in one setting. Where you will need to spend more time, is writing out your answers to the prompts, creating your vision, your goals, your plan, your measurements, and implementing that into a calendar system. There are online resources (free) that I found to be helpful. The authors also offer a few paid options that include a planner, coaching and training. The 12 Week Year
SHOULD I READ THIS?
If you are interested in beating procrastination, learning methods to have more intention in all areas of your life, and an actionable system that can be implemented quickly, I can’t recommend this book enough.
BUY OR BORROW?
Did you already look at my selection? You peak at Christmas presents early too, don’t you?
BUY
You will want to highlight and have the prompts handy. Definitely a good addition to any business bookshelf, and you may need to refer to it every 12 weeks.
Let me know if you read it!
Until next time. . .
