WEBVTT - The case for quarterly goals 0:00:03.440 --> 0:00:06.720 Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of my Heart Radio. 0:00:09.360 --> 0:00:14.200 Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 0:00:14.920 --> 0:00:19.239 Today's tip is to consider setting quarterly resolutions instead of 0:00:19.239 --> 0:00:23.640 the usual annual New Year's ones. I love setting New 0:00:23.680 --> 0:00:26.639 Year's resolutions. There's something about the clean slate of a 0:00:26.680 --> 0:00:29.640 new calendar year that makes me want to set new goals. 0:00:30.720 --> 0:00:34.320 But like many people, my excitement about bright, shiny New 0:00:34.360 --> 0:00:38.879 Year's goals often exceeds my actual capacity to implement these changes. 0:00:39.720 --> 0:00:41.639 And that's why I love the idea, which I got 0:00:41.640 --> 0:00:45.040 several years ago from an entrepreneur named Angelo Gia Kim, 0:00:45.080 --> 0:00:49.519 to set quarterly resolutions. Basically, the idea is that instead 0:00:49.520 --> 0:00:52.400 of focusing only on the stuff you'll try in January, 0:00:52.840 --> 0:00:56.000 you set goals for each quarter of the year. You 0:00:56.040 --> 0:01:00.760 get a clean slate in January, April, July, and October. 0:01:02.080 --> 0:01:05.000 There are several upsides to this concept. For starters, you 0:01:05.040 --> 0:01:09.000 can set more goals. I tend to identify twelve, one 0:01:09.040 --> 0:01:13.560 for each quarter in the categories of career, relationships, and 0:01:13.680 --> 0:01:17.039 self even if you'd only set one or two each quarter. 0:01:17.040 --> 0:01:19.480 Though this can broaden the scope from the handful of 0:01:19.480 --> 0:01:23.720 things you tackle as new Year's resolutions. Even as you're 0:01:23.720 --> 0:01:26.600 setting more goals, though you can be more focused on 0:01:26.680 --> 0:01:31.520 each habits are always hardest at the beginning. Setting too 0:01:31.560 --> 0:01:34.760 many intentions means you dilute what might already be limited. 0:01:34.760 --> 0:01:39.240 Willpower better to go all in on, say, eating vegetables 0:01:39.240 --> 0:01:42.560 at lunch and dinner for ninety days and then tackling 0:01:42.640 --> 0:01:45.840 exercise first. Trying to work out and eat vegetables and 0:01:45.840 --> 0:01:48.640 get enough sleep and give up sugar sweetened drinks all 0:01:48.680 --> 0:01:51.960 at once. You've got a much better chance of actually 0:01:52.000 --> 0:01:55.880 sticking with something if it's the only change you're trying 0:01:55.880 --> 0:02:01.600 to make. Setting quarterly goals allows you to pace your self. Yes, 0:02:01.800 --> 0:02:05.800 you're acknowledging that exercise is important, and there's a time 0:02:06.280 --> 0:02:11.760 when you will address exercise, namely starting in April, not 0:02:11.960 --> 0:02:14.680 right now, while you're doing your best to add broccoli 0:02:14.760 --> 0:02:19.360 and kale to your grocery cart and menu rotation. Finally, 0:02:19.480 --> 0:02:22.320 ninety days might feel like a more doable time frame 0:02:22.520 --> 0:02:24.680 than a year for something that's more of a challenge 0:02:24.720 --> 0:02:28.720 than an actual ongoing resolution. For instance, I might set 0:02:28.720 --> 0:02:31.440 a career goal to revise a novel in Q two 0:02:31.880 --> 0:02:34.400 and come up with a new book idea in Q three. 0:02:35.440 --> 0:02:39.840 Both of these will eventually be done, and by assigning 0:02:39.840 --> 0:02:42.480 a time over the course of the year, I know 0:02:42.800 --> 0:02:46.280 I will get to both. And sometimes resolutions are better 0:02:46.320 --> 0:02:49.400 fits for some parts of the year than others. I'll 0:02:49.440 --> 0:02:52.359 talk in an upcoming episode about my resolution to get 0:02:52.360 --> 0:02:55.440 outside for twenty minutes a day. I really have no 0:02:55.480 --> 0:02:58.280 trouble doing this from say, July to October, when the 0:02:58.280 --> 0:03:01.680 weather is amenable, but its a lot harder from January 0:03:01.760 --> 0:03:04.480 to March, which is why this is a Q one 0:03:04.560 --> 0:03:07.960 resolution that I won't worry about so much once spring 0:03:07.960 --> 0:03:12.120 and summer come. In any case, if you like this idea, 0:03:12.240 --> 0:03:15.360 to take some time today to think about dividing what 0:03:15.440 --> 0:03:19.120 might be your annual New Year's resolutions into quarterly ones. 0:03:20.120 --> 0:03:23.639 Which will you tackle first, what's better suited to later 0:03:23.680 --> 0:03:26.400 parts of the year. Of course, if you're going to 0:03:26.440 --> 0:03:29.680 make quarterly resolutions, then you should probably write them somewhere 0:03:29.919 --> 0:03:33.320 where you'll be able to see them later. Maybe send 0:03:33.360 --> 0:03:35.800 yourself a calendar reminder for the last week of each 0:03:35.880 --> 0:03:39.200 quarter so you'll be able to handle the logistics necessary 0:03:39.320 --> 0:03:43.640 for tackling each resolution at its appropriate time. If you 0:03:43.680 --> 0:03:47.720 set fourth quarter goals and then completely forget about them 0:03:47.760 --> 0:03:50.800 in the fourth quarter. That makes this a slightly less 0:03:50.920 --> 0:03:55.400 useful exercise, although it must be said sometimes life changes 0:03:55.560 --> 0:03:59.720 enough that revisiting goals each quarter makes sense because they 0:03:59.720 --> 0:04:03.000 know longer makes sense for your life. Maybe you plan 0:04:03.080 --> 0:04:05.680 to renovate your house in the fourth quarter, but you've 0:04:05.680 --> 0:04:08.040 got a great new job in the second quarter that's 0:04:08.080 --> 0:04:12.440 going to require moving, so it goes we can change. 0:04:13.280 --> 0:04:16.520 But in general I find that while people overestimate what 0:04:16.560 --> 0:04:19.640 they can do in the short run, they underestimate what 0:04:19.680 --> 0:04:22.640 they can do in the long run. By setting small 0:04:22.760 --> 0:04:27.680 quarterly goals, these can become cumulative. A year from now, 0:04:27.800 --> 0:04:30.000 you could be in great shape, or on track for 0:04:30.040 --> 0:04:33.040 getting out of debt, or no longer smoking, or all 0:04:33.040 --> 0:04:36.440 of the above. And given how many people don't keep 0:04:36.560 --> 0:04:40.480 annual New Year's resolutions, that would be a pretty impressive outcome. 0:04:41.720 --> 0:04:44.760 Do you set quarterly goals? I'd love to hear about it. 0:04:45.400 --> 0:04:48.640 You can email me at Before Breakfast podcast at i 0:04:48.800 --> 0:04:52.919 hurt media dot com. In the meantime, this is Laura. 0:04:53.680 --> 0:04:56.599 Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 0:04:56.600 --> 0:05:05.680 our time. M Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you. 0:05:05.680 --> 0:05:08.560 You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. 0:05:09.320 --> 0:05:12.920 Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at 0:05:12.920 --> 0:05:17.800 Before Breakfast pod. That's b E the number four, then 0:05:17.880 --> 0:05:21.280 Breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me an 0:05:21.279 --> 0:05:25.040 email at Before Breakfast podcast. At i heeart media dot 0:05:25.120 --> 0:05:28.040 com that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. 0:05:28.640 --> 0:05:30.720 Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch. 0:05:36.560 --> 0:05:39.640 Before Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. For 0:05:39.760 --> 0:05:42.800 more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i heart 0:05:42.880 --> 0:05:46.240 Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 0:05:46.240 --> 0:05:46.960 favorite shows.