How to set twelve week goals
Twelve week goals are three goals with a quarter to run. Each one gets four markers, so you see a goal falling behind while there’s time to change it.
One goal is for work, one is for your body and health, and one is for the people in your life and your rest.
Week one of twelve is eight per cent of the whole plan. You notice when a week that size goes by with nothing done.
Set your 12 week goals
- Write one goal for each of the threeKeep each goal to one line. If all three turn out to be about work, swap one for your body or the people around you.
- Name what you’ll watchPick one thing you can count or see, such as forty customers, two runs a week or one dinner a week with no phones at the table.
- Put four markers on each, at weeks three, six, nine and twelveWrite down where the goal should be by each of those weeks.
- Pick a start date and write it downCount the twelve weeks from that date. Week twelve is when you review and set the next three.
Why week three matters
Week three is the first marker that tells you anything. The first rush has worn off by then, and you can see how fast you’re going.
A goal that’s behind at week three needs a new plan or a new goal. You still have nine weeks to put it right.
A marker is a number or a fact you can check, like "spoken to fifteen people by week three".
Why three goals
We stop at three because a quarter already holds your normal work and life. Each extra goal takes time from the other three.
Where the goals come from
Start with the Wheel of Life to find the part of your life with the widest gap. Then pick your values and write the sentence for the year. The three goals come after that.
Then plan for the obstacle
Name the thing that’ll get in the way and write a rule for it before it happens. WOOP takes you through it in four steps.
Questions
Is this the same as The 12 Week Year?
It uses the same idea of treating twelve weeks as the whole plan. The 12 Week Year by Brian Moran and Michael Lennington has its own system. This guide covers the three goals and four markers our workspace uses.
What if I miss a marker?
Look at the goal and at the plan, and change whichever one is wrong. Then set a new marker for the next check.
Can I use this for 90 day goals?
Yes. Ninety days is about thirteen weeks, so add one week at the end for your review.
Is there a twelve week planner I can print?
Yes. In the Astera editor, start from the Thirteen weeks template. It opens with a goal spread, puts a weekly plan before every week and gives each day two pages. You can bring your three goals and their markers across from the workspace too. Read every page at its printed size before you order.