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Your Visual Journal - Woman Planning

Why you may want to plan in a 13-Week cycle

Last updated on April 12th, 2022 • Planners and Planning

Did you know that there is a trend to move from planning out an entire year in your day planner to only looking at 13 weeks at a time?

I didn’t.

Which is why when I purchased a Self Journal I was shocked to find out that it only ran for 13 weeks. You know what I discovered after diving in and using it? 13 weeks is a much better length of time for a planner than a year.

Here are three reasons you can get more out of planning for only 13 weeks than for a full year:

Are you still using a planner that runs a full year? You are missing out on hitting your goals faster! 
 Why You May Want To Plan In A 13-Week Cycle
#planners #planning #dayplanner #showmeyourplanner

1. Motivation is a perishable commodity.

We’ve all experienced starting a project with great enthusiasm only to have it wane as time goes on.

Executing in short timelines keeps our motivation high.

The faster we can get from ideation to execution, the more likely it is that we will put something new out there. Perfectionism, fear and insecurity chip away at ideas. If we can execute quickly—before we start to question and second-guess ourselves—then big things can happen.

2. 13 weeks shortens the timeline from planning to execution.

Brian Moran in his breakout book, The 12 Week Year asserts that the problem with annual planning is that the cycle is too long to connect results with actions. The urgency incurred by shortening the cycle moves people from planning to execution more effectively.

In Moran’s system, there is never a year with four periods. There is simply 12-weeks, followed by 12-weeks, followed by 12-weeks. The year-end push to hit your goals happens all of the time.

3. Shortening the timeline makes us leap and take action.

Tara Mohr outs us in her book, Playing Big. She shines a light on the hiding and delaying tactics we often use to keep from doing things that we are afraid of. She exposes things that feel like action, but aren’t really.

Mohr writes: “A leap is never a decision. It’s the decision plus the action.” Mohr also highlights that leaps are never solitary. They always put us in contact with those we want to reach or influence.

John Lee Dumas, host of EOFire says focus is key to success.

4. Badass John Lee Dumas does this.

Podcast host, John Lee Dumas of EOFire has interviewed over 1500 successful entrepreneurs and identified that 100 days (13 weeks) is the sweet spot for setting goals that are: S-Specific, M-Measurable, A-Attainable, R-Relevant and T-time-bound.

Dumas created The Freedom Journal to help entrepreneurs achieve their #1 goal in 100 days.

Time and energy are finite resources. We have to focus them, or we run out. It is much easier to plan resources for shorter periods of time. If we focus on a primary goal and align our time and energy to meeting that one goal, we are much more likely to achieve it.

Have you test-driven a 13-week planning cycle yet? Pick your goal and go for it!

And you don’t even have to purchase a special planner. Here are 10 reasons you should use a sketchbook instead of a planner.


Want tips on how to journal? Get the free ebook on How to Journal with 28 ways to journal and hundreds of resources so you can find the method that is right for you.

About Cathy Hutchison

Cathy Hutchison helps people get more joy, meaning, and freedom in a world of demands through the practice of visual journaling.

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cathy.hutchison

Cathy helps people banish overwhelm,
boost creativity 🎨
and reconnect with their ♥️
through visual journaling. 🖌
Get the free Quickstart guide 📗 here

CathyHutchison | VisualJournal
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#Sketchnotes help me manage my focus and stay enga #Sketchnotes help me manage my focus and stay engaged in meetings.
I love the A5 size journals because they can go ev I love the A5 size journals because they can go everywhere with me! #journaling #leuchtturm1917 #yourvisualjournal
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Making my inner 7 year old happy with sealing wax. Making my inner 7 year old happy with sealing wax. #journaling #stationery #artjournaling #sealingwax
I bought something that I wanted SO BAD when I was I bought something that I wanted SO BAD when I was seven years old. 

I realized that now that I'm a grown up I could just buy it. 

On Amazon. 

#sealingwax #journaling #artjournaling #yourvisualjournal
I love learning about the authentic fascinations o I love learning about the authentic fascinations of the people in my world. The obscure hobbies they love. The ideas they just can't stop thinking about. The things they pour time (and money) into for no reason except that it gives them joy .

As you jump into 2023, I highly recommend purchasing a #notebook that you can take with you everywhere to feed this part of your life . Write down your inspirations. Capture ideas. Develop thoughts by reviewing them periodically. (And definitely scribble doodles in the margins--that's an important part.)

Engaging a #journaling practice--whatever that looks like for you--can give space for the quirky, beautiful, creative part of you to grow. And as it turns out, #visualthinking in a #journal is my personal, random fascination.

#yourvisualjournal
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I just did my 2022 annual review—a practice I le I just did my 2022 annual review—a practice I learned from @michalroots . 

As one part of this, I wrote the sentences that jumped out at me from my 2022 journals as I went page by page. It left me with a sense of what the year was about and gave me an appreciation for the incredible beauty of friends, creativity, inspiration, and big ideas. 

I also looked at my vision board to see what happened, and what didn’t. For the things that didn’t happen, I gave some heart time to figure out the level that I actually want them (and learned it was low.) The things that happened had a lot of desire behind them. (It was an interesting thing to observe.) 

If you want to take Michal’s course, DM him for the link. I found it a valuable process that I will continue going forward.
#journaling #yourvisualjournal #artjournaling #bulletjournal #bujoinspiration
Do you create a #visionboard each year? The latest Do you create a #visionboard each year? The latest post at YourVisualJournal.com dives into how to create one in your journal. #journaling #artjournaling
Happy thanksgiving 🍁 Happy thanksgiving 🍁
Brush markers make my heart happy. #brushmarker #t Brush markers make my heart happy. #brushmarker #tombowdualbrushpens #bulletjournal #bujo #yourvisualjournal
Brush markers are easy to use, and putting a few d Brush markers are easy to use, and putting a few doodles at the bottom of your todo list makes it more engaging for your brain. This whole thing was quick to draw. (Mostly circles, a rectangle, and a few lines.) Coloring in with #brushmarkers was fast and easy. 

#yourvisualjournal #bulletjournal #artjournaling #sketchnotes #tombowdualbrushpens
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Disclosures

Some links on this site are affiliate links and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The author receives a  small (really small) commission if you happen to buy something.  Funds are used to support journaling supplies & four crazy sweet Aussies who bark for treats every time I come in the door. (To be fair, I have a pattern of giving in to them.) I write about all kinds of journaling, and if Bullet Journaling is your thing, I’m here to support you. But if you want to go deep, go to the original source–Ryder Carroll, who created the system, and started it all at bulletjournal.com. I use the method daily which is why I started writing about it here.
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