1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:15,120 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:22,200 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to learn your seasons, find the natural 4 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:25,520 Speaker 1: rhythms of your year so you can use them to 5 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:30,920 Speaker 1: help you set goals. That makes sense to you. If 6 00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:34,680 Speaker 1: you ever listen to my other podcast, Best of Both Worlds, 7 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:39,280 Speaker 1: you may have heard one of our goal episodes when 8 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:42,000 Speaker 1: my co host Sarah Hart Hunger and I discussed the 9 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:45,520 Speaker 1: goals we are setting and check in on our progress. 10 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:50,880 Speaker 1: I like to set goals by quarter January through March, 11 00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:56,120 Speaker 1: April through June, July through September, and October through the 12 00:00:56,240 --> 00:01:00,600 Speaker 1: end of the year. I like the rhythm of orders 13 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:04,480 Speaker 1: because thirteen weeks feels like a nice mix between the 14 00:01:04,520 --> 00:01:09,640 Speaker 1: ambition and realism. A quarter is a long enough time 15 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:13,880 Speaker 1: to accomplish something big, but a short enough time that 16 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 1: there aren't so many unknowns that the line between planning 17 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:23,720 Speaker 1: and dreaming starts to blur. Sarah, though, sets goals by 18 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:27,920 Speaker 1: what she calls quintiles. To her. As she explained to 19 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:31,200 Speaker 1: me on Best of Both Worlds, quarters don't really seem 20 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:34,679 Speaker 1: to fit the rhythms of her life. Her rhythms are 21 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:39,600 Speaker 1: derived from the academic calendar. Her first quintile runs from 22 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:43,679 Speaker 1: January one through spring break. The second is spring break 23 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:47,280 Speaker 1: to the end of the school, the third is summer vacation, 24 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:51,720 Speaker 1: the fourth is the start of school till Halloween, and 25 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:55,560 Speaker 1: then the last is November in December. Those are the 26 00:01:55,680 --> 00:02:00,000 Speaker 1: natural seasons of her life. They provide an obvious sense 27 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 1: of focus that is inherent in each season. Camps and 28 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:08,680 Speaker 1: vacations in quintile three, new kids schedules in Quintile four, 29 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:13,440 Speaker 1: holiday celebrations, and preparing for the next year in Quintile five. 30 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 1: On Sarah's other podcast, Best Laid Plans, she interviewed organizing 31 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 1: expert Lisa Woodruff. Lisa explained that she plans in trimesters, 32 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:27,560 Speaker 1: again linked to the academic calendar, but with just one 33 00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:31,760 Speaker 1: Lisa season for each semester, whereas Sarah has two seasons 34 00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:35,120 Speaker 1: per semester. So Lisa plans and set schools for the 35 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:39,799 Speaker 1: fall semester, the spring semester, and the summer. Clear and simple, 36 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 1: maybe one of these approaches three seasons, four seasons, five 37 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 1: seasons feels natural to you, or maybe something entirely different 38 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:59,800 Speaker 1: makes sense. Maybe for your family it's sports seasons football, basketball, baseball. 39 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:03,400 Speaker 1: Maybe you are an accountant and there are rhythms of 40 00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:08,080 Speaker 1: tax seasons. Maybe you run a ski school and focus 41 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:11,240 Speaker 1: on business from November to April, with the rest of 42 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:15,080 Speaker 1: the year focused on very different things. In any case, 43 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:19,680 Speaker 1: figure out the seasons of your year, however you define 44 00:03:19,720 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 1: them what would make sense. The reason to do this 45 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 1: is that when you learn the seasons of your year, 46 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 1: you are able to think through your year strategically. You 47 00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:36,640 Speaker 1: can set goals and priorities for a period of time 48 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:44,280 Speaker 1: that feels distinct and meaningful, not arbitrary. You are oriented 49 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:49,440 Speaker 1: towards accomplishing specific goals within a clearly defined time period, 50 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:55,320 Speaker 1: the year feels more doable. You know the landscape. You 51 00:03:55,360 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 1: can also make appropriate choices focusing on business during your 52 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:03,440 Speaker 1: busines season, let's say, and focusing on an athletic goal 53 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:07,880 Speaker 1: during the list busy time. So as you consider your 54 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 1: goals for decide on your seasons within the year, then 55 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:18,400 Speaker 1: use those seasons to help you work toward your goals 56 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:26,119 Speaker 1: and celebrate your accomplishments in the meantime. This is Laura, 57 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:31,320 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 58 00:04:31,360 --> 00:04:40,680 Speaker 1: our time. Hey, everybody, i'd love to hear from you. 59 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:43,599 Speaker 1: You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. 60 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:47,920 Speaker 1: Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at 61 00:04:47,960 --> 00:04:53,480 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast pod. That's b the number four, then Breakfast 62 00:04:53,839 --> 00:04:56,640 Speaker 1: p o D. You can also shoot me an email 63 00:04:56,680 --> 00:05:00,599 Speaker 1: at Before Breakfast podcast. At i heeart media com that 64 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:03,960 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks 65 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:11,880 Speaker 1: so much, I look forward to staying in touch. Before 66 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:14,960 Speaker 1: Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. 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