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[[firstname]], have you performed your quarterly check-in on your goals yet?
Last week I discussed the importance of a quarterly check-in. And I even went over how to do this live on Facebook.
But because this is so important (and I know that (1) not everyone wants to watch a video and (2) some of you would like a written blueprint), I'm mapping out the check-in process for you today.
Why Perform a Check-In?
A quarterly check-in is a process to help you assess where you are (versus where you thought you'd be) and identify what may have been holding you back or getting in your way. Why do this?
Because it will help you plan appropriately as you move into your next round of quarterly goal-planning. And it's a must-do if you want to put your best foot forward to achieving your goals (and hence make it more likely that you'll achieve them). Besides, it will give you more information for planning purposes (and make that process easier).
Before I move on, I want to make certain that you've read my goal-setting articles. If you didn't, and you want to: (1) ensure that you've set the right goals for yourself (e.g., ones that you'll actually want to achieve and are more purposeful) and (2) set yourself up for more success at achieving them, read the following articles and then come back:
5 Common Goal-Setting Mistakes to Stop Doing Now
3 Secrets to Setting the Right Goals for You
7 Must-Follow Rules to Accomplish Your Goals
Check-In Overview
Remember that you're now planning goals on a 90-day basis. And throughout each 90-day period, you're learning and tweaking as you go (and planning out your to-do's on a bi-weekly basis).
That 2-week planning process is pretty granular. So, every 90 days, it's time to take a step back and look at your progress on a big-picture basis and to look for any recurring patters (both good and bad). The point is to learn from what you see and incorporate these lessons into your next 90 days.
Now, this may seem tedious and time consuming. And, in all honesty, it may be (depending on what you find). But, as with anything, you'll get better as you go. Additionally, because you'll be incorporating what you've learned into your next 90 days, you won't have as much to learn during your next 90-day check-in.
This process is a series of 7 steps. Each one is important and they build upon one another, so don't skip any of them (and do them in the order listed).
Step 1: Positive Progress
Start by asking yourself what progress has been made. What are your wins (and what did you do well)? Furthermore, what strengths + skills have helped you to progress to where you are now?
Write all of your findings down and think about how you can use this information in your planning process moving forward (and even in how to push yourself past any roadblocks you may be facing elsewhere or could come up against in the future).
Step 2: Celebrate
I know you'll want to skip right through this step. But don't (seriously).
You owe it to yourself to celebrate what you did right. Find a way to reward yourself for (1) the progress you've made (even if you made way less progress than you wanted), (2) any wins you had, and (3) what you're learning by going through this process (because that's a win too).
You pick how you want to celebrate. It doesn't have to be extravagant (just something that's meaningful and fun). The simple act of celebrating what went right will help put you in the right mindset to move forward. So do it.
Step 3: Identify the Gap
Here's where you finally get to start beating yourself up (just kidding). This step is where you look at where you've missed the mark. In what areas did you think you'd be further along by now?
There are likely several reasons for this, so identify why you're not as far along as you thought you'd be (and be honest about the "why"). Especially look for the following:
- Where did you misallocate time (e.g., in what areas did it take much longer to do something than you thought it would)? What can be learned from that going forward?
- What came up along the way that wasn't planned and how did that affect your ability to get your previously identified tasks and activities completed?
- Were you unreasonable about what could be accomplished in a 90-day period? [Hint: if your calendar was filled with nothing but goal-related activities, and not much space for other stuff, then you seriously overburdened yourself and need to include more space for other stuff in your calendar as you move forward].
- Where did you struggle most (e.g., had trouble getting to your goal-related activities and instead found other stuff to do, regardless of how important these things were)?
When going through this step, be objective and honest. I don't want you beating yourself up or even worrying too much about the "why" behind your behavior or decisions. It's about ensuring you bring complete awareness to what got in your way. And that's it.
Step 4: Revisit Your Priorities
Take a look at the things that got in your way versus what you didn't do that you'd originally planned to get done. And ask yourself whether the things that popped up were truly priorities.
I've talked before about how to prioritize properly. And I've got a few "rules" for you to remember when it comes to prioritizing:
- just because something is urgent doesn't mean it's a priority (it may not be)
- just because something is a priority to someone else doesn't mean it's your priority
- just because something is simple and quick, doesn't mean it should be done by you (or even at all) - because that has nothing to do with whether it's an urgent priority
When it comes to things that are preventing you from doing goal-oriented tasks and activities, it's time to get real. Because you shouldn't be prioritizing them over goal-oriented tasks unless they are urgent priorities.
If they aren't priorities, then you shouldn't do them at all. And if they aren't urgent, then you can calendar them into your schedule (remember, there should be free time left within your calendar for these in the first place).
If you want additional help in how to prioritize properly and how to use your calendar to drastically shrink your to-do list, download my Overwhelmed and Overworked Rescue Blueprint if you haven't already. I'm giving you direct access to it (no additional opt-in required), so there's zero reason not to snag it.
Step 5: Identify the "Why" Behind Your Struggles
Take a look at where you struggled most to get goal-oriented tasks and activities done. And ask why.
I'm not talking about not getting something done one day because a true emergency came up. I'm talking about where you see a pattern of consistently not getting something done (or multiple somethings relating to a specific goal).
Where are your patterns of struggle? And what's behind that?
Look especially for signs of procrastination (like often having a ready-made excuse for not doing something) and other self-sabotaging behaviors. When trying to identify the "why", you're looking for the fears and beliefs that are getting in your way from moving forward (or at least, making it much harder for you to move forward).
The fears that most often show up here are fear of failure, fear of success, and fear of what others might think (which is often linked to comparisonitis - the art of comparing yourself and your results to others, which is a killer).
Limiting
beliefs and fears are intertwined (the beliefs are often adopted because
of a fear). Thus, once you identify a belief, look also to see what
fear it might relate to. Limiting beliefs are "rules"
you've adopted for yourself and stories you tell yourself regarding your
capabilities, how the world works and/or how people behave. But these
beliefs aren't true and limit you from moving forward.
To help you identify the beliefs that are limiting you, go through the following exercises:- I'm afraid to/unable to/fear doing/feel uneasy about [name the activity/task or overall goal] because I believe [______________].
- If I went ahead and [name the activity/task], then I would be going against my belief that [________________].
Once you identify your fears and limiting beliefs, get clear about exactly what they are and start questioning and challenging them.
Step 6: Identify Changes You Can Make
Identify all the changes that can be made to make it more likely that you'll achieve your goals and make better progress during the next 90 days. This doesn't mean you have to change everything you identify (or even anything). It's just about identifying what could be changed to help you progress further faster.
Note that these changes can be just about anything, such as:
- changing a routine or pattern
- adopting a new habit
- getting a support system in place
- learning how to prioritize better
- challenging a belief and/or fear
- asking someone to help hold you accountable
- learning how to better use your calendar as a productivity tool
- being more realistic about how long some actions/tasks will take
- leaving more free time within your calendar for things that come up
Step 7: Commit
This is where you make a commitment. Ask yourself what you're committed to doing differently moving forward and how you're incorporating what you've learned through this check-in process into your next 90 days.
We're Done (I Promise)
I know this email is a bit long (okay, so that's an understatement). But now you have my 7-step goal planning check-in process in writing.
And it's time to use it for yourself. Go through this process and use what you learn from it to plan your next 90 days. So you can make this year your BEST (and most productive) year ever.
Before you go, I'd love to hear from you. What are you finding that you want to do differently for the next 90 days? A little accountability can go a long way...
Until next time (and all my best),
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