If you've been around for a while, you know I've been advocating for the importance of using a daily planner and that traditional yearly, monthly, and weekly planners just don't allow you to get as laser-focused on day-to-day work. I can assure you that I still believe that wholeheartedly. BUT…
I understand that people like their monthly calendars, and there are benefits to planning out your goals, aspirations, and monthly/weekly plans. So, I challenged myself recently to try new things. I first started with a yearly planner but quickly realized that it wasn't going to work for me. Then, I landed on a quarterly planner and immediately felt like I was onto something great. I'm going to highlight the problems my quarterly planner started to solve for me and how you, too, could benefit from going quarterly.
The Problem with Yearly Planners
It seems like a yearly planner should make sense—one planner with an entire calendar year. Beautiful monthly tabs, weekly spreads, notes pages, all the things in ONE. I get it, the idea sounds… perfect.
But, ask yourself: Have you ever completed an entire yearly planner from January to December? For some of you, your answer may be yes, but I'm guessing you're in the minority. I can honestly say in my lifetime (and my love for planners goes deep), I have NEVER completed an entire yearly planner from front to back. I have always ditched them at some point, probably about three months in. If you're in this camp… keep reading.
So, what is it about a yearly planner that doesn't work? For me, it's the feeling of overwhelm. I'm a planner, but only to a certain degree. I'm also Type B and have ADHD… so if you fall into either of those categories, you likely relate to this. Planning too far in advance starts to literally make me itchy and uncomfortable. I like to be prepared for what's ahead, but I also like to know that my entire future isn't dictated and that there's room for the unknown because that's what makes life so freaking amazing and exciting. Again, if you relate… keep reading. I have a feeling we're going to be friends.
Introducing Quarterly Plans
Ok, so what if I scale a yearly planner back? I could go for six months, sure, that feels okay. But for me, three months was the sweet spot. It's the perfect amount of planning with lots of wiggle room for the future. After switching to quarterly planning, here are the immediate benefits I started seeing.
Benefits of Quarterly Planning for Type B Personalities and Individuals with ADHD
- Manageable Time Frame: Quarterly planning breaks down the year into manageable chunks, making it easier to focus without feeling overwhelmed by long-term commitments.
- Flexibility and Adaptability: A three-month period allows for adjustments and changes, catering to the need for flexibility that many Type B individuals and those with ADHD require.
- Frequent Goal Setting and Reflection: Regular monthly and weekly planning pages encourage frequent goal setting and reflection, helping maintain motivation and focus.
- Reduced Overwhelm: By concentrating on shorter periods, quarterly planning helps reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed, which is particularly beneficial for those with ADHD who may struggle with long-term projects.
- Enhanced Focus and Productivity: The structure of daily pages combined with monthly and weekly planning can help improve focus and productivity, providing clear, achievable targets.
Quarterly planning can offer significant psychological benefits, particularly for those with ADHD or who find yearly planning overwhelming. By breaking the year into manageable segments, it includes frequent goal-setting and accomplishment, leading to regular dopamine releases that can boost motivation and confidence.
This approach helps build self-efficacy, creating a positive feedback loop of achievement and reward. Additionally, the flexibility and shorter time frame can help reduce stress and improve emotional regulation, making it easier to stay focused and engaged. Ultimately, quarterly planning provides a structured yet adaptable system that enhances productivity and fosters a more positive mindset.
My Personal Experience After Going Quarterly
I've been setting some high-level development goals as well as business goals for Friday Afternoons. These goals tie into some of the overarching goals I set for the year, but they're more specific and broken down into realistic goals that can be attained in 90 days or less. I'm happy to report that I am seeing success with this approach.
Initially, I didn't use the monthly pages. I was still on the fence about this, mostly because I've always used digital tools for monthly calendars and planning. However, over time, I started using them to plan my months. I'll be honest—I still don't really use the calendar. But a monthly plans overview page has allowed me to track monthly goals that are more of an overarching task and not super tactical.
Which then leads me to the weekly plans. My planner I designed features a weekly plan page with a box for each day of the week and a personal/work task list. I usually fill this page out on Sundays. I set goals for the week at both a personal and work level. As a full-time hybrid working mom, I plan my work-from-home days and schedule in any plans for time off or appointments for me and the kids. I then use this page for meal planning, which has been so helpful to have in my work planner since I often stop at the grocery store throughout the week.
I use the daily pages just as I do with The Workday Planner, my daily planner. I structure the entire day for both personal and work tasks and use time blocking to stay on task.
After using it for a while, I can say that goal setting isn’t so bad—it’s actually kind of fun. I enjoy planning out my month, weeks, and days and don't feel like I'm repeating tasks throughout the different pages because I start from macro and work down to micro tasks.
Others' Experience
I love planners, love designing them, using them, all of the things. When I started Friday Afternoons Co., my goal was to create planners that help make work-life a little easier on people, so I've made it my mission to partner with real-life professionals.
I'm happy to report that the Friday Afternoons Quarterly Planner has been in a pilot program for a few weeks now, and I'm already getting the following feedback:
“I don’t normally use planners, but shortly after using your quarterly planner, I realized I was missing out and I can see myself sticking to this one.”
“This planner is stunning! I can’t believe you made this yourself. I can’t wait to get started.”
If you're interested in going quarterly, be sure to stay tuned as I prepare to launch a new product line of quarterly planners later this summer. You can follow along on my social accounts or better yet—sign up for email so you can get a 10% off code and have first access along with other free resources and updates sent straight to your inbox. I promise I won’t spam you! I don't have time for that.
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