The 12 Week Year Method: A Game-Changing Goal-Setting Method for Coaches, Consultants, and Service Businesses

Did you know that January 12th is known as “Quitter’s Day”? It’s the day when most people give up on their New Year’s resolutions?

As Time Magazine reports, “…as many as 80% of people fail to keep their New Year’s resolutions by February.” 

I think we can all agree that maintaining focus is getting harder and harder thanks to the distracting world we live in, but aren’t our goals worth more than 12 days of focus? 

If you’re looking for a different approach to goal setting—one with some substance and structure that can support you as you strive for business success—you’re in the right place!

A while back, I read The 12 Week Year book and method by Brian Moran and Michael Lennington, which offers a refreshing approach to productivity and a system for achieving your annual goals in 12 weeks.

I will give you my take on the book and how I’m using the 12-week system. However, I cannot do the book justice in a single blog post.  This is one of those books to keep on the shelf to reference repeatedly in the future. I recommend you read the book. Here’s my affiliate link to buy it on Amazon. (Thank you to those who are kind enough to use my link! At no cost to you, Amazon may pay me a small commission for referring you to them to get the book.)

Book Summary: The 12 Week Year: Get More Done in 12 Weeks than Others Do in 12 Months, by Brian Moran & Michael Lennington

The book’s core concept is treating 12 weeks as a year to increase productivity and focus. This approach challenges the traditional annual goal-setting framework and encourages more immediate and intense execution of goals.

If you give yourself a year to achieve your goals, it’s easy to lose momentum. Feeling like you have lots of time left, zaps your sense of urgency. However, by shortening the time frame, individuals and teams are pushed to prioritize their goals more effectively, reduce procrastination, and get them done.

For business owners looking to enhance productivity, establish thought leadership, and achieve work-life balance, the principles in The 12 Week Year can be a game changer. It can help you plan your weekly and daily activities to achieve the things in life that matter most. This twelve-week guide to accomplishing your big, hairy goals is the perfect solution to ditch the drama, get more done, leverage your time, and achieve significant results faster.

Why I love this guide to shortening your execution as a business owner with ADHD

I think it feels like being in school where each semester brings fresh enthusiasm to achieve a few key goals. This compressed timeframe helps me prioritize my time and stay excited about what I’m working towards.

Having a long execution cycle is challenging for me as an entrepreneur with ADHD. In school, if I had a semester to write a paper, I’d do it the night before it was due.

The 12-week plan creates a sense of urgency, focus, and clarity so my most important stuff gets done. 

This is perfect for coaches, consultants, and service businesses (especially those of us with ADHD) because The 12-Week Year eliminates the “pitfalls and low productivity of annualized thinking.”

In layman’s terms, it creates focus and clarity to achieve your goals faster and easier because you’re less likely to procrastinate when you have a short deadline compared to having all year long.

This method can revolutionize the way you work and achieve your professional and personal goals.

Understanding The 12 Week Year Method

Before we explore its application, let’s break down what The 12 Week Year entails.

A New Timeframe: Instead of setting yearly goals, you break down your year into four 12-week periods, each acting as a standalone “year.”

High Focus: This compressed timeframe necessitates prioritizing the most important tasks that drive your business forward.

Accountability: Regular weekly planning and daily actions keep you accountable for your goals.

Why The 12 Week Year Works for service-based businesses

This method provides a structured framework that emphasizes consistent action and results.

Clearer Focus

There’s no room for the “someday” mentality when you’re following the 12-Week Year plan. You’re compelled to identify the most impactful activities that will drive your business forward and disregard the “ooh-shiny” things that tend to pull us all off course. 

Increased Productivity

The 12 Week Year condenses your ambitions into a shorter timeframe, which inherently encourages productivity. The ticking clock of the 12-week period motivates you to work with more intensity and purpose, knowing that the end of your “year” is just around the corner.

Faster Feedback Loop

Implementing strategies and receiving feedback in shorter cycles enables quicker adjustments. For coaches and consultants, this means you can rapidly iterate on your marketing and services to better meet client needs and market demands.

Implementing the 12 Week Year in your service business

Step 1: Vision Setting

Define Your Business Vision

Start by crafting a compelling vision for your business. What do you want to achieve in the next three to five years? How will your services evolve? A clear vision provides direction and inspiration for your 12-week goals.

Step 2: Planning

Establish Your 12-Week Goals

With your vision in mind, set one to three achievable goals for the next 12 weeks. These should be specific, measurable, and directly tied to your long-term vision.

Break Down Actions

Once you have your goals, list the actions required to achieve them. Assign each task a deadline within the 12-week period, ensuring that you distribute your workload evenly.

Step 3: Execution

Weekly Planning

At the beginning of each week, plan your week and the key tasks you want to accomplish. Prioritize activities that will have the most significant impact on results. (I have a whole group coaching program called Planner Genius to help you with your planning. Come join us!)

Daily Discipline

Each day, focus on completing your planned tasks. Discipline is key; avoid the temptation to deviate from your plan.

Strategic Focus Blocks

Every week plan for at least one 3-hour block of time to focus on your goals. The authors recommend 3 hours of deep focus, not three one-hour sessions. 

Buffer Time

Set aside 1 or 2 one-hour time blocks each day to tackle pesky to-dos. This will help you avoid the “dumpster fire” of distractions from social media, Slack, your inbox, etc.

Breakout Blocks

Recharge your creativity with a weekly 3-hour escape each week, The authors suggest taking 3 hours off during work hours each week to do something fun. 

Step 4: Tracking

Keep Score

Implement a system to track your progress. This could be a simple spreadsheet where you list the tasks you need to accomplish during this 12-week year execution session with their due dates. Give yourself points for each tack you’ve completed each week.

Weekly Scorecard

Review your accomplishments from the past week and plan the upcoming one. Having a weekly scorecard is a powerful system for achieving your goals because it allows you to assess your top priorities, see if you’re on track, and identify areas for improvement.

Step 5: Accountability

Accountability Partners

Having someone to hold you accountable can dramatically increase your chances of success. Find a fellow coach, consultant, or service provider, and commit to regular check-ins.

Regular Reviews

Conduct a thorough review at the end of each 12-week cycle. Evaluate what worked, what didn’t, and how you can improve in the next cycle.

My Success Stories and Case Studies

You might be wondering if it really works to achieve more in 12 weeks than most do in a year. Here’s a list of things I’ve been able to accomplish in my first 12 week year.

My first 12 week year

• Lost 32.5 lbs (So far I’ve lost 70+)
• Launched the Planner Genius group coaching program
• Launched a membership on Circle

After achieving so much success, I’m repeating this process every 12 weeks, taking a week off to chill-out in between.

My second 12-week year

• Planned my daughter’s wedding
• Created Make it POP!, a website-design program
• Migrated our email marketing from ActiveCampaign to Flodesk (We had over 70 automations!)

My third 12-week year

• Launched Make it POP! and took my first cohort through it
• Migrated our team’s project management from Asana to ClickUp
• Majorly decluttered our house

Overcoming Challenges

Adopting The 12 Week Year is not without its challenges. It requires discipline, consistency, and a willingness to adapt. 

The biggest obstacles I’ve faced are time management, prioritization, and maintaining motivation. Here are some solutions to handle these if they come up for you. 

Embrace the Mindset Shift

• Start with a clear understanding of why the 12-week cycle is beneficial.
• Visualize the outcome to stay motivated. If the why is big-enough you can do anything!

Master Planning and Prioritization

• Break big goals into smaller, achievable tasks. (My move from ActiveCampaign to Flodesk was overwhelming, so I’m moving from Asana to ClickUp over two sprints instead of trying to cram it all into one.)
• Use tools like planners, spreadsheets, or apps for effective task management.

Build Consistency and Discipline

• Set daily and weekly routines to stay on track.
• Manage your time using the Strategic Focus, Buffer, and Breakout blocks like the authors suggest.
• Use accountability partners or groups for regular check-ins.

Manage Overwhelm Effectively

• Schedule a breakout block each week to avoid burnout.
• I like to take a week off after each sprint to relax.
• Don’t set more than 3 goals at a time to maintain quality and efficiency.

Track and Measure Progress

• Keep a progress journal or use tracking software.
• Celebrate small wins to maintain motivation.
• Shoot for 80%+ compliance on your tracking each week.
• Find an accountability buddy. (Join us in Automagic Business Academy, we’re doing the 12-week year as a group!)

Stay Flexible Amidst Changes

• Develop contingency plan.
• Regularly review and adjust your strategy as needed.

Align short-term focus with long-term vision

• Ensure each 12-week plan contributes to your overall business strategy.
• Reflect on long-term goals during each planning session.

Tools and Resources

I created a 12-week year planner and a spreadsheet for my Automagic Business Academy members to track their goals.

Personally, I think the right tool to track and implement your sprint depends on the type of goal you set. For example, for my weight loss goal, I use my Oura ring, the Lose It app and my FitBit scale. Google Calendar is amazing for time-blocking.

Here are some tools and resources that may help you track your personal and professional goals

Project Management Software

• ClickUp: Versatile for managing different aspects of projects and goals.
• Trello: User-friendly, card-based system great for visual organization.
• Asana: Excellent for tracking tasks and milestones.

Goal Setting Apps

• GoalsOnTrack: Helps set SMART goals and track progress.
• Strides: Versatile app for tracking habits and milestones.

Journaling and Reflection Tools

• Day One Journal: For daily reflections and tracking progress.
• Five Minute Journal: Quick daily entries to maintain focus and gratitude.

Visual Tracking Tools

• Kanban Boards: Visualize tasks using online Kanban boards (e.g., Trello).
• Mind Mapping Software: Tools like MindMeister or XMind for visual goal planning.
• White boards & Post-it Notes: Sometimes keeping it low-tech and simple is the best approach!

Customizable Dashboards

• Notion: Create custom dashboards to track various aspects of your 12-week goals.
• Airtable: Combines elements of a database with spreadsheet functionality for versatile tracking.

Habit Tracking Apps

• Habitica: Gamify your habits and daily tasks.
• Streaks: Focus on building and maintaining daily habits.

Financial Tracking Tools (for financial goals)

• Mint: For budgeting and financial goal tracking.
• You Need A Budget (YNAB): Helps allocate funds to specific goals.

Health and Fitness Trackers (additional to your existing tools)

• MyFitnessPal: For diet and exercise tracking.
• Strava: Great for tracking running and cycling progress.
• Oura Ring: Offers detailed sleep and activity tracking for overall wellness.
• Apple Watch: Provides comprehensive fitness tracking, including workouts, heart rate, and more.
• Fitbit: Tracks daily activity, exercise, sleep, and overall health metrics. (I have the Fitbit scale as well.)

Desktop & Browser Tools

• Todoist: A versatile task manager that integrates with many apps.
• Freedom or Cold Turkey: Block distracting websites to stay focused on goals.

Social Accountability Tools

• Focusmate: Virtual coworking to stay accountable.
• Beeminder: Integrates with various apps and imposes penalties for missing targets.

Time Tracking Apps

• ClickUp: Also offers time tracking within the app.
• Clockify: Simple and effective time tracking.

Ultimately choose whatever tool helps you make sure things get done and the impact of your effort pays off.

Final Thoughts

The 12 Week Year method has the power to bring significant change to how coaches, consultants, and service businesses operate. By adopting this approach, you’re not just setting goals; you’re fundamentally transforming your habits, work ethic, life and business.

While implementing the 12 Week Year system, remember, this isn’t about increasing your ‘hustle’ or pushing towards burnout. It’s about working smarter, not harder. The goal is to enhance productivity and effective execution through focused effort and efficient time management, ensuring you achieve more without compromising your well-being or work-life balance.

If you’re looking for life-changing results, I challenge you to read this book, pick 1-3 areas of your life you want to change, and embrace imperfect action. Wash, rinse, and repeat this 12-week cycle a few times throughout the year, and I promise you’ll look back at the journey amazed by the progress you’ve made!

Here’s to your success! 🙂

Heather

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