Boost Your Productivity with a Quarterly Cadence

I have a confession to make: I'm more often late than on time. It is not because I lose track of time, but because I always believe I can squeeze in one more thing before I need to jump in the car or hop on a call. I once heard this is a trait of an optimist. I'm not convinced that is more than a platitude to help me feel better about it. However, I do notice that many of us are consistently pushing the boundaries of what we can achieve in a given timeframe.

Bill Gates is often credited with noting that "Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years."

This got me thinking about our approach to setting goals. If Bill Gates is correct, let's use this to our advantage.

A New Approach

Let's scrap the idea of having a 10-year goals. Anything more than a few years is too long for it to be impactful. And when we don't meet our 10-year goal, it can be very demotivating.

It is not because of our inability to put our heads down and get the work done (those of us that have taken a 5-10 year path through exams can attest to that). The reality is that a lot can change between now and 10 years down the road. The farther the timeframe, the more likely some significant surprises will redirect our path away from the original goal or we will discover a new direction that we want to explore.

I'm not saying don't look into the future. I am suggesting that when you do, focus on doing so in the context of envisioning the life that you want to be leading, the career you want to be enjoying, and the impact you want to be having in this world. Let yourself dream. Create a 10-year vision (not a goal).

This vision creates a fantastic direction to steer towards, without the weight of it being a specific goal. It is more flexible - you can let it evolve with each experience and moment of growth along the way.

Let's keep our goals (which we do diligently work toward and strive to achieve) to one year and shorter. Take advantage of the fact that we overestimate what we can do in a year. Set hard goals for the next 90 days. Meeting 80% of stretch goals in the near future is incredible progress. Fitting these goals into a more controllable and predictable timeframe of 90-day increments work amazingly well.

This approach to goal setting leverages our natural tendencies and provides a flexible framework for personal and professional growth. It's about setting ambitious goals in the near-term and allowing our long-term vision to guide and inspire us without tying us too tightly to a pass or fail goal that far out.

The Benefits of a Shorter Goal Timeframe

This works because of a few key elements.

1. Enhanced Motivation and Reduced Procrastination: Taking action on smaller, achievable chunks feels less daunting and more manageable. This fosters a sense of accomplishment as you tick off milestones, keeping you motivated and less likely to procrastinate on the bigger picture.
2. Flexibility and Adaptability: Life throws curveballs. With shorter goals, you can adapt your plan more readily in response to unforeseen circumstances. New opportunities or roadblocks won't derail your entire journey; you can simply adjust the short-term steps to keep moving forward.
3. Faster Feedback Loops and Learning: More frequent and smaller goals allows for regular reflection on your progress and approach. Did a strategy work well? Do you need to adjust your methods? Has something material changed?

Deeper Dive

It isn't coincidence that our best window for actionable and powerful goals is 90 days. Nature's seasons follow that cadence. Our businesses follow it. And it is a great fit for personal and professional growth as well.

For a little more perspective, check out the Forbes article "Why 90 Days Is The Ultimate Productivity Hack "

Lab Work

Ready to test this new approach?

It takes practice to get good at setting effective 90-day goals. Experiment with setting a one-year goal and break it down into 90-day increments or "rocks".

1. Define Your One-Year Goal: Think about something significant you want to achieve in the next year. This could be related to enhancing a skill, accomplishing a specific project at work, or something personal like improving your fitness or learning a new hobby. Make sure this goal is challenging yet achievable. Write this goal down, be as specific as you can.
2. Identify Your 90-Day Rocks: Now, break down your one-year goal into smaller, manageable chunks that can be accomplished in 90 days. These are your "Rocks". These should be significant tasks that collectively lead you towards achieving your one-year goal.
3. Make Your Goal SMART: Refine your one-year goal and 90-day Rocks, ensuring they are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This framework helps to make your objectives clear and easy to track.
4. Commit to Your Goal: Once you have your one-year goal and 90-day Rocks defined, make a commitment to yourself to work towards them. Remember, the goal is progress, not perfection.

By setting a concrete one-year goal and breaking it down into 90-day Rocks, you'll be able to make consistent progress towards your bigger aspirations, while maintaining flexibility and adaptability.

?? Share your insights, thoughts, and findings in the comments or DM me.

Hi, I'm Aree, a sustainable success speaker, author, coach and seasoned actuary. Throughout my healthcare actuarial career, I developed my passion for team-building and mentorship. Now, I've turned that passion into a mission: to empower actuaries and analytical professionals to navigate their complex fields with clarity and purpose. By providing tools, insights, and as a partner, I help individuals build sustainable, fulfilling careers that truly align with their values and aspirations, and help leaders build effective and cohesive teams.

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