Quarterly planning is a great way to stay focused on achieving your goals throughout the year. Quarterly planning allows you to break down big goals or projects into manageable chunks that can be completed within a 90-day period.
Quarterly planning is important for two reasons:
- First, we have something to aim for. Our human brains love working towards something. It can lift our spirits. It can give us purpose.
- It gives us focus. We can’t do all the things. We simply can’t. So, identifying one, two or three things to focus on allows us to say no to all the things that are not in alignment with our goals.
Goals can be focused on what you want to achieve. They can also be focused on how you want to show up – for yourself and for those around you. Whether it's for your professional development or personal growth, having a plan in place can help you build awareness by tracking your progress and allows you to make necessary adjustments along the way.
Here are 7 Steps to Help You Make Quarterly Planning A Success
Step 1 – Identify your Goal(s)
Clearly define 1, 2 or 3 goals that you want to achieve within the next three months (90 days).
Step 2 – Define the Outcome
Take a moment to define what the outcome that you want looks like. Make sure your goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). This will help you stay on track and measure your success at the end of the quarter.
Step 3 - Break it Down
Break down each of your goals into smaller steps. This will make your goals more manageable and help you stay motivated throughout the quarter. For example, if your goal is to update the Policies for your department, you can break it down:
1. Create a list of all the policies your department has.
2. Review each policy and identify which of those policies require updates.
3. Complete the update for Policy ABC.
4. Completed update for Policy XYZ.
5. Provide update to your team on the Policy Updates and what that means for them.
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Step 4 – Create a Plan
Create a plan for each of your goals that includes the tasks, and perhaps subtasks, that will help you get there. You can identify due dates for each task and assign tasks to different people in your team. This also allows you to identify tasks that need to be completed before moving on to a task that is dependent on the task before it is completed.
For the Policy example above, you can outline Tasks 1 to 5 in a table, estimate the time each task will take and then assign a due date to each. This is also a perfect opportunity to think big picture and identify what you can automate, delegate or eliminate.
Step 5 — Make Time
You can’t achieve your goals if you don’t allow yourself time to focus on them. Schedule 60 to 90 minutes a day to advance your big goals, one step at a time. Or schedule a Sprint (more to come on Sprint’s soon).
Step 6 - Check In
To help you maintain your success, consider incorporating regular check-ins into your plan. This can be a weekly or bi-weekly review of your progress to see if you are on track and if any adjustments are required. This can also help you stay accountable and motivated to keep working towards your goals. To help you remember, you can add these reviews to your calendar.
Step 7 – Quarterly Review
At the end of the quarter, hold your own “quarterly review”. This could include:
Reflecting on that the last quarter:
- When I look back on the last quarter, what went well
- What am I proud of?
- What didn’t go so well that can I improve on?
- Was I able to achieve my goals? Why, or why not? If it is still important to me, how can I be successful this quarter?
Looking ahead to the next quarter:
- What would I love to create in the next quarter?
- What shifts can I make to my daily routine to help me be more effective in achieving my goals?
- What shifts can I make in my daily routine to help me increase my wellness?
- What can I simplify?
- What can I eliminate?
