Two weeks ago I covered how to build your annual goal tracking sheet and last week I covered how to turn that goal tracking sheet into a quarterly plan which indicates your action items for each and every week.

Now we are taking it the final step to turn these sheets into daily action item logs. All of this is to help ensure that you are moving closer towards your goals and achieving more in 2020 than you ever have before.

For the audio version of this lesson, check out the BEYOND THE IMAGE PODCAST where I do a deep dive on the topic!

For daily action plans I prefer the bullet journaling method (check out the book all about how to create a bullet journal) – but here is how I tie it into everything we discussed.

I start my bullet journal with listing out the action items that need to happen in any given month. Where do those action items come from? Easy! The 90 Day Roadmaps we created last week. I just copy all of the relevant ones over to the month of January. Now I have a full list of everything I need to get done in that month.

Next, every Sunday I host what I call a WAR ROOM meeting. I start by doing this alone and if I need to bring my team in for a portion of it, I do that at the end. But the idea of a war room meeting is you set your action plan for the week.

From my monthly list, I break out what I need to get done that specific week. You are noticing the trend. I take a goal and I break it into the ridiculous bits to make it easier to manage and digest.

Big goals seem hard AF to get done. But break them into 52 tiny chunks and every week you move forward in your progress.

If I look at my war room action items for this week it involves work across most of my projects. But I have no projects that need to be finished this week, just moved ahead incrementally. However if I don’t accomplish these tasks for this week, everything the following week will now be a week behind.

Once the war room meeting is concluded and I have my list of what I want to focus on that week I open up my Calendar App. I prefer Google Cal as I can share with my team, but whatever way you want to track your time is fine.

I go into the calendar and I start to block out the time throughout the week (and yes, I only work 1 week at a time) that I need to accomplish the week’s worth of action items. I need an hour for this task here, 30 minutes for that task there. I block out my time aggressively but leaving about 30 minute buffers in between blocks to allow some stuff to roll over or stuff to come up (which it always does, naturally).

The war room meeting and calendar build can take me anywhere between 30 minutes and 90 minutes depending on the complexity of the week I have ahead. However it is worth every second as it is what ensures my focus and effectiveness in the week ahead.

Thus I invest this time to SAVE time throughout the week.

Lastly, every day in my bullet journal I will list out the tasks that need to get done that day, from my weekly list and my time blocked calendar. I work quickly, focused and aggressively knocking off each component on my list.

If I planned my day effectively, I finish on my estimated concluding time. The more I do this, the better I get at estimating. It is a muscle that requires work.

Know that early on it will be harder.
Know that early on you will get off track easier.
Know that early on you will be easily distracted.

However the more you focus, the more you customize to your needs, the easier it will get, the more focused you will get and the more accomplished you will become!

As always, we love it when you share this article online or with a friend!

James Patrick
JamesPatrick.com
IG @jpatrickphoto

Welcome to the sequel article to last week’s article on creating an annual goal plan that you can actually stick to so you can achieve your goals!

If you want a full audio recap of this approach, check out my 12/25/19 episode of the Beyond the Image Podcast where I discuss all of this in detail.

So in last week’s session we discussed how to lay out your goals and plans for the entire year. Now we need to take the next step to break these big goals into quarterly chunks.

We do this using a new page (or a new sheet in EXCEL or GOOGLE SHEETS) we call the 90 DAY ROADMAP. Also often known as the gap map.

IMPORTANT: Only plan the 90 day roadmap for the quarter you are either in or about to enter. It would be a disservice to fill out a roadmap for two or three quarters down the road as it would not be able to factor in the results of what you’ve done to that point. So we focus on the next 90 days, 12 weeks and 1 quarter.

In the furthest left column you will write out each of the goals from your annual sheet that apply to the first quarter of the year. We know these because we gave each of the goals a deadline. But not every deadline applies to 1/1/20 and 4/2/20. So only select the goals that apply and copy them over to this new sheet.

BONUS: If you want to increase your likelihood and motivation in achieving each of these goals, write in the next column (or underneath the goal) WHY. Why do you want to achieve this goal? Why is it important? Why will you devote your time and energy to making this goal a reality? This comes from how we engineer and sustain motivation (check out my podcast on that very topic of hacking meditation in 2020).

Then in the next column write TODAY. This is where you will track where you are right now on that goal. For example, if I were to be tracking my goal of reading 50 books a year, which is an average of about 1 a week, I would need to read 12 in the first quarter of the year. However I have already managed to read 2. So if I were creating this today I would write the number 2 in where I am at today. For you this could be zero or it could be your current BMI if a body goal, or how much you’ve made thus far if a financial goal, etc. This box cannot and should not include any emotion or feelings you have about where you are it (that is the WHY BOX). It is just the facts. This is where I am today.

Now, skip over a few columns to the right and write where you need the goal to be at the end of the quarter or 12 weeks. If the entire goal has to be done by the end of the quarter that is what you write. For my annual goal of reading 50 books, well I just need to finish 12 books by the end of the quarter.

Here comes the fun part. Now in the columns in between you have the GAP. The left side is where you are now, and the right side is where you need to be in 12 weeks. Use the middle columns (as many as you want) to fill out where you need to be each month and each week (setting benchmarks) as well as the corresponding actions you must take. To reference back to my reading goal, I have 10 books to read in the next 10 weeks (as of when I am writing this). That is a book a week.

I have another goal to attend a networking event every quarter and at that event introduce myself to 2 new people. How does this break out into 12 weeks?

The first weeks I might set the action of researching half a dozen different options to attend. Then I might set the action of registering and attending in weeks 4-8. Then in weeks 9-12 I would set another action of sending follow up messages to the two people I happened to meet at the event.

Why are we getting so granular? Because that is what helps ensure we achieve our goals.

If we set a ginormous goal of say hosting a conference, or creating an online membership platform – that seems so big and insurmountable that we don’t even know where to begin.

The 90 Day Roadmap breaks each and everyone of our goals into WEEKLY action items. This forces us to think critically about each goal, break it apart into manageable chunks that we can take action on.

Tune into next week’s article where I cover how to turn this 90 Day Roadmap into DAILY ACTION ITEMS!

As always, we love it when you share this article online or with a friend!

James Patrick
JamesPatrick.com
IG @jpatrickphoto

On the Beyond the Image Podcast, posted on 12/25/2019 I went through a full deep dive on how to properly set up your goals for the New Year so they can actually be achieved.

Why is this important? Because 25% of New Year’s goals are abandoned by the middle of January and less than 10% are ever achieved! That is a horrible statistic.

This approach covered in the full podcast as well as listed herein will help ensure you accomplish more of the goals you set your sights on.

STEP 1
Set your VISION for 2020. Write “In 2020 I will have…” and then record your forecasted vision for the year as if it has already happened. This is a freewrite paragraph that allows you to mentally set the tone for where you see the year going.

STEP 2
Write your PURPOSE for 2020. Now that your vision is recorded, do a second freewrite paragraph on the purpose and intentions you will have in the New Year. Once again, write them as if they have already happened. You are just recording the future reality.

STEP 3
What will be your LEGACY in 2020? Last freewrite portion. When you set a vision, when you live with purpose you will create LEGACY. What will be the legacy you create in 2020?

BONUS STEP 4
One thing I do every year, and that I would encourage you to do is to set a THEME for the year. This can be a single word, or it can be a phrase. But it must be something important to you that will help accelerate your work and motivation as you reference back to it throughout the year. If you can’t think of one, feel free to steal mine. My theme for 2020 is ELEVATE. Elevate your body, mind, relationships and business. Seek and find ways to elevate every single day.

STEP 5
Set up your goal tracking sheet. I like to do this in MS EXCEL or GOOGLE SHEETS but you can use a blank piece of paper if that is what you prefer.

In the furthest left column write CATEGORY

Next column write SUMMARY OF ACTION ITEMS

Next column write DEADLINE

Then place 4 columns (SPRING, SUMMER, FALL, FINAL in that order).

Then under each category you will select a title. This will be a cluster that your specific goals will fall under. For example one of my categories is “Photography” whereas another is “FITposium” and another is “Personal Growth & Development.” Look at the category as a house that will hold a bulk of your goals. You can have as many, or as few categories as you would like. I have 12 for 2020. There are years I have 14 and years I have 10. Just depends on my goals.

Next column write an overall summary goal for that specific category. Example you could have the category being “Financial” and the summary goal is “Gross $100,000 with a net of $60,000.” Or your category could be “Coaching” and your summary goal could be “Get a new client once a month.” This sets the overall goal and tone for each category.

Next column set a deadline for that category goal. Some can be the end of the year. Some may be earlier in the year. Some may be weekly or monthly. Some may just be ongoing.

The next four columns “Spring” “Summer” “Fall” and “Final” you will use throughout the year to evaluate yourself in the months of April, July, October and December to write and assess how you did in each of your categories This is how we keep ourselves focused and accountable on our goals throughout the year. This becomes a living document that you use throughout the year.

STEP 6
Under this you will create a new section for EACH CATEGORY you listed above. Under each category you will then list as many (or as few) specific, measurable, attainable, realistic goals as you would like. Since the columns are still there, you will then have the next column being a description of the goal, the column after that being the deadline and the next four columns being the review columns for “Spring” “Summer” “Fall” and “Final.”

Example, under my “Health” category I listed 3 goals. Here is the first of those 3.

Goal: #1. Sweat Daily.
Description: Find a way to sweat (if not a full workout then a way to create increase heart rate for at least 20 minutes 365 days out of the year)
Deadline: Daily
(Then I have the four review columns next where I will assess my progress in this goal throughout the year).

Here are two more examples under my “Personal Growth & Development Category where I have 5 goals.
Goal: #1 Read 50 Books
Description: Average 1 book a week reading or using Audible.
Deadline: Weekly

Goal: #5 Learn Guitar
Description: Hire a new guitar instructor. Practice weekly. Perform a full song in front of an audience before the end of the year.
Deadline: Hire instructor 5/1, Perform 12/31

THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
Then throughout the year I will be referring back to this document, one to make sure I remember all my goals and can track them, but also four times a year to assess my status and if I need to redirect my attention and energy to specific goals.

Stay tuned for next week’s article where I will dive into how to break these goals into quarterly action plans!

As always, we love it when you share this article online or with a friend!

James Patrick
JamesPatrick.com
IG @jpatrickphoto

When I present at conferences on the importance of creating change in your own life I talk about the importance of daily habits and routines that help me optimize my outfit and efficiency. Managing six separate brands, while still having a life I desire to live, is not an easy task after all.

However when I tell people that legendary change is made through doing small things that will culminate overtime I get some push back.

“It can’t be that simple.”
“That can’t actually help.”

It can. It does.

But as simple as what I am about to share with you is, it is far from easy to do consistently, non-negotiably over time.

Let me share a quote from Aristotle, “character is built through habit.” Thus in order to build character, one must do it habitually. Everything you do has to become a habit – that is how character is built.

When I get up in the morning I go on a 10-20 minute jog around my neighborhood (or whatever area I am in). To be clear, this is not my main workout for the day. This is something I do first thing (before social media, coffee or life). I will be honest, it is the last thing I want to do at that time. But I force myself to do it, I force myself to do something difficult (mentally) that I don’t want to do. When I finish I ALWAYS feel better. Why? Because I just won a battle against my own resistance. The next battle will always be easier.

Then, before I still satisfy my urge to be online, I set meditate and journal. With the weather being so amazing in the morning I have been doing this out on my back patio and it has easily become my favorite part of the day.

After that I will pick up a book to read a bit to expand my mind while I drink my coffee (yes I can have coffee now). Anything I feel I have learned I will record as a note in my journal or phone.

Then I eat a healthy breakfast from my meal plan and jump on the shower. My first setting on the shower is cold – literally as cold as I can make it. Then I allow myself to fight the cold water and adapt. I have a minimum threshold I force myself to hit, and then after that I will see how long I can go before I reward myself with hot water.

Then I allow myself to start my work day.

When I talk to my coaching clients they will even ask “how can you get all this done before you even start your day? I can’t do that myself. I am too busy. And also screw you and your cold showers!” Okay I am exaggerating a bit there.

However, I don’t want to insult them by reminding them that I still manage to run six companies on top of all this. But let me give you an example of a critically busy day I had.

Both my wife and I were recently presenting at the IGNITE520 conference in Tucson. I got up with the sun and went for my jog. As soon as I got home I was on the back patio meditating for 20 minutes. Then I journaled a few pages of thoughts and recapping my dreams from the night before. I then sipped my hot coffee and read two chapters from this book I had been enjoying. I got up to make us both breakfast and then took my cold shower before I got dressed.

After getting dressed I started writing down concepts for an article I wanted to release while my wife finished getting ready.

Once she was done we got in the car and on the road. It was only 7:45 in the morning.

Let me go back to that quote from Aristotle. “Character is built through habit.”

I have built daily habits for my body (working out and properly fueling), for my mind (meditating and journaling), for my relationships (expressing gratitude for them every day) and for my business (learning and teaching). All of these are done, non-negotiably, every single day of my life.

That is my intention. So now your turn. What habits can you build now that will help you develop your character?

James Patrick
jamespatrick.com
IG @jpatrickphoto