Planning By the Seasons

Seasonal Schedule Changes

You can just smell the sunscreen, can't you? Beaches, travel, swimming, reading time - dialing life back a bit. As a mom, even of college kids, our year revolves around a school schedule. I was thrilled to discover "academic calendars" available as planners and not just for teachers! I adore a good planner.

Goals and Seasons
"Season" can mean different things at different times in your life. There are the calendar seasons and the "season" of your life - before kids/career focus, with kids, empty nest, maybe career change, and retirement to name a few. No matter which "season" you're talking about, each creates a different flow in your schedule.

Summer Season
My summer now begins in May with college kids. Finals tend to be the last of April or very beginning of May. I feel like I have a whole extra month now, or I can "plan early" ahead of those parents finishing school the end of May in AZ or June in many states. It's the perfect time for me to review my year's goals and tweak them for a new flow of the schedule. It's longer days and a lighter schedule. It's an opportunity to try new things!

January Goal Check
So how are those goals going! Still on track? Fell hard off the wagon? Focusing on some - feeling guilty about others? No worries! Change of season is a great opportunity for a "do-over" or reset of intentions! 

• What's still resonating with you from January or your original goal setting time? 
• Time to keep those goals going through the year or need to rethink them a bit? A small tweak can make a big difference to stick with your intentions!
• Had more time to ponder new goals and ready to add a couple?
• Life taking you in unexpected directions with different goals in order?

What Method to Use?
Just as at the beginning of the year, there are a ton of ways to consider your goal setting. It can honestly be overwhelming. I keep many in mind but select the best parts of each for my own mix.

• Every good plan begins with a brain dump or brainstorming session!
  • Get all of those random thoughts out of your head and onto paper or some digital note/goal system. Trello (or Asana or something similar) works great for this as I can add lists and cards (tasks), color code, and move them around to my heart's content.
  • You need to see patterns for your goals and plans.
• Eisenhower Matrix - we reviewed this earlier and there are a few different takes on the basic idea, but identify Urgent/Important goals and tasks. Kendra Adachi of The Lazy Genius calls the quadrants Now, Soon (schedule), Later (delegate), and Never Mind (eliminate). I love the simplicity!
• Have to/Hope to - this is another idea from The Lazy Genius in a podcast episode. Identify what you HAVE to do vs what you HOPE to do. Dial it back where you can and take a deep breath.
• Categories of goals or tasks
  • Jon Acuff is a goal guru - goals are his thing! He identifies focal points for goals.
    • Career
    • Financial
    • Relationships
    • Health
    • FUN (don't forget the FUN!)
  • April Perry of LearnDoBecome focuses on teaching systems to maximize your time and energy. Her system is based on David Allen's Getting Things Done. April's project focus:
    • Me
    • Family
    • Beyond​

Status Check
So how are you doing! I was a bit cautious to start the year. I didn't want to overwhelm myself with too many things in process. I kept about half of my initial goals that were doing well. The other half - maybe half of those I'm renewing and the other half I'm changing.

Some lend themselves better to the summer schedule and pace of things: stop work at 8pm for family/hobby time, and maybe this will be the year to start water aerobics!

I'd be happy to share ideas if you're feeling stuck in your goals or struggling to find what resonates with you. Let's help you achieve those business and personal aspirations -  Let's Chat!

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