Step-By-Step guide to changing your life in 3 months

 

I have been on my self-development journey for quite some time now and some months back I realized that I’ve become stagnant. I was doing things routinely, but I wasn’t making any progress.

Then I decided to drastically change my life in 3 months. I wanted to be in a completely different space and just transform myself.

So, I went online (as we all do) to look for some resources and I found a book called The Twelve-week Year by Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington. I read it and was blown away by the principles in it.

I implemented them in my life and I saw major improvements in such a short time. I felt compelled to share them because I honestly believe this will change your life.

So why should you be making 3-month goals instead of annual goals?

It gives clarity. When you zoom in and plan your goals/life from a 3-month perspective, you get clear on what you really want.

It creates a sense of urgency. When you set yearly goals, you think you have all the time in the world to do it. When you set 3 months goals, you are on a time crunch. You have this urgency to complete stuff before your deadline.

It leads to more intense work. Similar to urgency, you realize that you don’t have as much time as you think you do. You do more focused and intense work so that you make progress.

 Now without further ado, here are the principles that will change your life in 3 months.

  

1. Goal Setting

Obvious? Not really. You need to set clear and specific goals that you can measure. You can no longer say I want to lose weight this year but rather say in the next 3 months I will lose X amount of weight.

Your goals should be aligned with your long-term vision. Again with the weight example, say your vision is to lose 40 pounds in a year then you must set your 3-month goal to lose 10 pounds.

Don’t overthink it, just be specific, keep your goal aligned with your long-term vision, and break it down into smaller milestones.

 2.Weekly Planning

Now that you have a goal, make a plan of the specific action steps each week.

So losing 10 pounds in 3 months becomes go to the gym 3 times a week, meal plan to eat healthier, and go on a walk after each meal.

Prioritize the tasks based on impact, going to the gym will give more results than calorie counting.

 3.Time Block

After deciding your what (goal) and your how (weekly plan) it’s now time to decide your when.

Put a time block in your calendar of when you are going to do the task that will get you closer to achieving your goals.

Make sure that you are focused during these time slots. Minimize distractions and maximize productivity in these periods.

 4. Accountability

Have weekly meetings with yourself to review your progress and see what worked and what didn’t.

This has become my favorite Sunday habit, I sit down for an hour and just reflect on my progress.

Get a journal (or Word doc) that is dedicated to these accountability meetings. Ask yourself questions like:

•  How did I do this week?
•       What am I most proud of?
•       Where did I fall short?
•       How can I improve this coming week?

Be brutally honest with yourself but not judgmental. Just make the necessary adjustments. Strive for progress, not perfection.

 5.Track your performance

Get a habit tracker app, or calendar, or even make one yourself.  Have a visual representation of your progress.

At the end of the day, mark off what you did, soon you’ll see a streak that motivates you to keep going.

 6. Focus on fewer goals

Set a maximum of 5 goals for each 12-week period. This will prevent overwhelm and will lead to more focus.

 7.Mindset & Discipline

Develop a mindset of discipline and consistency and you are sure to reach your goals.

You missed one day after being consistent for 3 weeks, that’s alright, tomorrow is a fresh start. You don’t want to go to the gym because your favorite show is on, pause it, it will be there when you return I promise you.

Motivation is what will get you started but discipline will keep you going.

 8.Review & Adjust

At the end of the 12-week cycle do a thorough review of how it went. Analyze your achievements and identify areas for improvement.

Adjust and set new goals for the next cycle. Then repeat all the steps once more.

 

Final thoughts

Working to change your life is one of the most fulfilling things you can do.  This step-by-step guide will help you drastically change your life in 3 months. There will be ups and downs but just keep going, it will be worth it I promise you.

 And if you want more in-depth explanations of these principles, I highly recommend you read the book “The 12-Week Year.”

 

Until next time

xo xo