How a Yearly Theme, and a BUILD Framework Help Me Organize My Life and Tackle the Year.

Typically with each new year, we all become introspective and look at our past, and our future, to plan, and set new resolutions or goals.

*side note: Did you know that?at least 80%?of us lose our fire and resolve to follow through with our newfound goals and aspiration by the second week of February?

There are countless posts on the what, why, how. This is yet another.

Here’s my method:

1. Theme for the Year.

This is just how it sounds. I come up with a theme for each year.

I find it helps simplify my goal setting, and even adds value to the mundane activities in life, if I can point back to this over the course of the year.

I try and remind myself of this on a consistent weekly (or daily basis). Past year’s themes have been: Awakening, More to Give, BUILD, Grit etc.

This year’s theme: Progress = Happiness.

I can’t be perfect in all my goals. I’ve come to accept this. But what I can embrace is something that has always resonated with me since I first heard Tony Robbins shout this from his podcast microphone:?Progress = Happiness.

I may fall short in areas I’ve strived to get better in. That’s okay. Am I making progress? I’m happy. Am I stuck at work? Focus on making progress. You get the idea.

2. BUILD Framework.

I use an acronym I came up with called?BUILD?to help me plan, set goals and organize my life.

First, a bit of background -

Growing up, my Dad facilitated our family’s New Year’s Resolution process via the Luke 2:52 method.?“Jesus increased in?Wisdom?and?Stature, and in Favour with?God?and?man.”

Basically 4 key areas of your life to focus on and strive to improve:

1. Wisdom?= Intellectual goals (Sharpen the mind, increase your knowledge, learning etc.)
2. Stature?= Physical goals (fitness, activity, food, etc.)
3. God?= Spirituality (relationship with God, a higher-power, Universe — whatever you believe)
4. Man?= Social (fun, friends, money, free-time etc.)

I’ve used this method for several decades and can look back on these 4 main focus areas of my life from the time I was a kid, to becoming a first time father, and even now.

I’ve embraced using these 4 areas (or Quadrant Goals for my kids) to help me set goals each year.

But to me, there seemed to be a small disconnect lumping in financial goals with friends, social activities and vacations. I wanted a separate, distinct bucket for my work, budget, business goals etc.

I also wanted a place to file everyday items in it’s proper place for future reference.

This is where?BUILD?was born.

This concept came to me during my “BUILD” themed year. I like to call myself a builder. A builder of people, teams, businesses.

But I also enjoy the action insinuated with build. Something that was never finished or accomplished. Something to continue strengthening and toning.

So fast forward to now. I’ve tweaked my Quadrant Goals method to fit within what I call my personal B.U.I.L.D framework.

This framework acts as a database of sorts throughout the year, where anything I do, I can trace back to this while keeping me organized on a yearly basis.

Think of it as an active filing cabinet where I can save an article, receipt, journal entry, vacation plan, goal, ambition, thought etc.

B = Business and Budget

Build your business and focus on your budget. Business, work, money goals. This could be things you’d like to accomplish at work, starting a side-hustle, business goals, reducing your debt, anything of the sort.

This is where I put business ideas, work ramblings, monetary income goals, budget goals, expense reports, tax filings etc.

U = US

Build relationships with those that matter most. What can I do to be a better husband, father, son, and friend.

This for me, is where I put relationship goals, notes about my children, thoughts, and inspiration for my most important relationships.

I = Intellect

Much like the Wisdom category from my Quadrant goals, this is where I set goals for my mind, and intellect.

I use this as my place to keep track of learnings, books I’ve read, journals, thoughts about life, and more.

L = Life and Leisure.

This is where I place my Physical, health and lifestyle goals, desired routines, household chores, vacation aspirations and plans, hobbies and more.

There’s a lot here — but even more reason to separate the others out.

D = Deity

This is where I focus on building my relationship with my God. You choose how, or what this means depending on what you believe.

A great place to set meditation or prayer goals, and tap into your own personal spirituality — no matter the religion or belief system you follow.

I use this to set goals, keep track of spiritual thoughts/promptings, and more.

Build: 1. To develop according to a systematic plan, by a definite process, or on a particular base. 2: Make stronger or more intense.

Seems to work for me — let me know if it works for you.

-Grant

*originally posted on Medium