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The Twelve Week Year

#book/productivity #Brian-Moran #Michael-Lennington #time-management

Chapter 1: The Challenge

It's not what you know; it's not even who you know; it's what you implement that counts."

Difference between knowing and doing.

Part I: Things You Think You Know - "It's what you learn after you know it all that counts." -John Wooden

Chapter 2: Redefining the Year

Annual planning is a limitation. Trap: Annualized thinking
Time slips away because in our minds, we always have more time. Causes us not to be driven to perform consistently.

The fact is every week counts! Every day counts! We need to be conscious of the reality that execution happens daily and weekly, not monthly or quarterly.

Need to get away from the yearly thinking and into shorter chunks of time.
Life is lived in the moment.

(Reminded me of the time right before our Fourth of July party every year when we get a lot done around the house.)

The concept of periodization - helps maintain momentum and high productivity throughout the entire year, not just before the end of the year.

Periodization in sports is focusing on one skill for a set period of time.

Thinking > Actions > Results

A shift in mindset to think of the 12 week year will result in the actions needed to increase productivity before the end of each 12 week period. This will vastly improve overall results.

It provides a time horizon that is long enough to get things done, yet short enough to create a sense of urgency and a bias for action.

Important to have time to celebrate after the end of each 12 week year to look back on what has been done.

Chapter 3: The Emotional Connection

Without a compelling reason to choose otherwise, most people will take comfortable actions over uncomfortable ones.

The secret to living your life to its potential is to value the important stuff above your own comfort. Therefore, the critical first step to executing well is creating and maintaining a compelling vision of the future that you want even more than you desire your own short-term comfort, and then aligning your shorter term goals and plans, with that long-term vision.

Delayed gratification.

Things to consider:

Need compelling vision

Without a compelling vision, you will discover there is no reason to go through the pain of change.

Behind every impossible achievement is a dreamer of impossible dreams. -Robert K. Greenleaf

Mental first, then physical. The mental part/vision is what limits people, not the physical execution.

Think first about what you want personally, and then design your work/income/business to align with your personal vision, not the other way around.

The personal vision is super important. It needs to be all-encompassing enough to describe all areas of your life and tap into your passions, so that it is a motivating force. The personal vision is what needs to push you forward when you face various obstacles.

The business vision/goals is a subset of your personal vision. The business vision needs to support the personal vision and they must be in alignment.

The personal vision is what you need to draw on when facing any obstacles.

Our brains can act against us when they are trying to protect us from risks and uncertainty.

Amygdala vs Prefrontal Cortex (the book abbreviates to PFC).
The PFC is responsible for higher level reasoning.

Neuroplasticity - "the capacity for our brains to change."

If you think about your positive and fulfilling goals, you can strengthen that part of your brain.

All my life I wanted to be somebody. Now I see I should have been more specific. -Lily Tomlin

Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? -Mary Oliver

Chapter 4: Throw Out the Annual Plan

Benefits of planning:

The book makes the distinction between quarterly planning and 12 week planning. The book equates quarterly planning with the calendar quarters and the yearly planning model. Per the 12 week year model, every 12 weeks stands alone.

The advantage of the 12 week planning method is that it is more predictable than annual planning and does not depend on assumptions. If earlier objectives are not met, you can fall farther and farther behind. Things are more high-level with annual planning.

12 week planning is more effective because it is more focused, as you put effort into goals which will have true impact.

Your plan should start by identifying your overall goal(s) for the 12 weeks. The goal defines success for the 12 Week Year. It represents a great 12 weeks, and also represents intentional progress toward your longer-term vision.

Then come up with "tactics" after developing your main goal(s). These are supporting actions (to-do list items) toward the goal. If all items on the list are accomplished, the overall 12 week goal will be met.

Chapter 5: One Week at a Time

About the importance of action. This is what will get us forward in life.
With 12 Week Year planning, each day is basically the equivalent of a week in Yearly planning terms. The actions performed on each day are more important with 12 week year planning.

The activities of each week need to support the overall goal of the 12 week period. It is more than just a to-do list, but you need to include action steps as well as numerical outcomes. This is because actions are something in our control.

Chapter 6: Confronting the Truth

People are motivated by achievement and recognition at work.

Scorekeeping/metrics is a way to quantify if goals were met.

An effective measurement system will have a combination of complementary lead and lag indicators.

Lag indicator - metrics (income, sales, commissions, pounds lost, etc.). The end results that you are going for.
Lead indicator - the activities that produce end results.

Most important lead indicator is to measure if you did the things that you were planning on.

Measuring execution helps you to quickly identify issues and troubleshoot. Is there a problem in the plan itself, or in your execution of the plan?

Most issues come from people not fully/completely executing the plan, not from a problem in the plan. Don't be quick to change the plan unless you've actually been following it.

The book suggests completing a "weekly scorecard" where you evaluate the percentage of actions completed during the week. They make a note that you don't need to be 100% successful. Even at 85%, you will most likely meet the objectives. If you do less, you will still be making progress.

A term that the book introduces is "productive tension," which is the discomfort from confronting what you are not doing well at. You can avoid this feeling and stop using the system, or you can be honest and use the evaluation as a way to change for the better.

Chapter 7: Intentionality

This chapter is about time management. Time is the most wasted resource and also the most limiting.

Most people spend their days reacting to things that come up instead of doing things that they need to do to move forward with goals. This is what I do at work with emails.

Less time is wasted when you plan your activities according to your goals.

The book suggests time blocking (performance time).
3 kinds of time blocks:

This book mentions writing out an "ideal week," which is how your week would look if you had full control to do things when you are most suited to. Ali Abdaal has talked about this in the past. You should keep your own preferences in mind and do important things when you are at your best.

Thoughts: this concept of time blocking won't work with my job because of tickets and things that come up. I can't be away from email/teams for 3 hours at a time. Maybe I could do hour time blocks. I think I need to make better use of my time when I am not taking tickets and do time blocking during that time. Also, I can choose to intentionally ignore emails/messages until a designated time to handle them. I need to work on that.

Chapter 8: Accountability as Ownership

Accountability vs consequences. You can't "hold someone accountable." What people are referring to in that phrase is consequences.

Accountability must come from within, from being honest and facing the truth. The only things that a person can control are their thinking and their actions, but they must be accountable to themselves.

Chapter 9: Interest versus Commitment

A commitment is a personal promise. Keeping your promises to others builds trust and strong relationships, and keeping promises to yourself builds character, esteem, and success.

4 keys:

Chapter 10: Greatness in the Moment

This chapter talks about how we need to focus on today and this very moment. The things that we decide to do today directly affect what will happen in the future. A person becomes successful "when an individual chooses to do the things that he knows he needs to do. "

Chapter 11: Intentional Imbalance

This chapter talks about how 12 week planning can help with personal goals as well as business goals. Focusing on one thing at a time and forming "keystone" habits.

Part II: Putting It All Together

Chapter 12: The Execution System

Eight elements of high performance

Three Principles

Five Disciplines - action. How you execute.

The chapter also summarizes the Emotional Cycle of Change and how this system fits into that with examples. (Interesting how I remember folks from Epic mentioning the Valley of Despair with new implementations.)

Another point of this chapter is that you need to use it in its entirety (closed system). It won't be as successful if you pick and choose parts of it that you want to do. You need to make it your execution system for everything.

Chapter 13: Establish Your Vision

This chapter went more into vision, using a personal example from the author. Having a vision is important because it is an inspiration and allows you to see something greater behind all of your actions.

Some quotations from this chapter:

The most powerful visions address and align your personal aspirations with your professional dreams. In the end, your professional vision often funds and enables your personal vision.

and

Your vision should be big enough that it makes you feel at least a little bit uncomfortable.

The execution journey:
Impossible -> "What if?" -> Possible -> "How might I?" -> Probable -> Given

He mentions some pitfalls and I think the one that applies the most to me is "You don't connect your vision to your daily actions." I have a vision and I think it's the right one for me (not too big or small, etc), but other things get in the way of it (fatigue from working a full time job, cooking, housework, etc.). I need to find a way to move forward daily.

Chapter 14: Develop Your 12 Week Plan

Create a written plan for the 12 weeks. Break down the overall 12 weeks into 12 weekly goals and then come up with tactics for each. Each tactic should start with a verb and be a complete sentence.

The authors discussed the importance of planning out the goals, work. Also, making sure that you don't have too many goals (need to focus) and making sure they are impactful.

Chapter 15: Installing Process Control

How to monitor your progress and ensure you are on track. They suggest joining weekly meetings (WAM, or Weekly Accountability Meetings). This seems to be more geared toward a corporate setting. It would not apply to me on my own. You would calculate your score of your performance from the previous week, plan the week ahead, and then discuss in this group meeting.

The authors focus on the importance of having a written out plan, not just knowing it in your head. The plan is not a massive to do list including all tasks. It only focuses on the specific actions for that week that contribute to the 12 week overall goal. Also, you are not supposed to add in tactics in a week. They said to instead add anything to the main 12 week goal and then fit it into a future weekly plan.

Chapter 16: Keeping Score

Measuring success is like a feedback loop.

The lead indicators are the actions that you take. Doing these consistently will result in long-term success. Don't stop the system if you have a few bad weeks. That means that you need to regroup and adjust your strategy.

Chapter 17: Take Back Control of Your Day

They advocate for time blocking as a method to accomplish tasks.

Other key ideas: Multitasking is not effective and makes it take longer for you to do things. Distractions and interruptions waste a tremendous amount of time due to task switching and lost attention.

The recommendation is a written plan for the week and trying to schedule the blocks at the same time for consistency and it would help others get ahold of you during the buffer blocks. I don't think this schedule would work well for my job due to tickets and other meetings. I think I might be able to make it work somewhat for my art related activities.

Chapter 18: Taking Ownership

I read this chapter, but nothing really stuck out for me. It was about accountability, and how it is not the same as consequences (review from earlier). Basically stating that you need to face reality and come to grips with the truth in order to be successful.

I did like this quote:

Truth is the only safe ground to stand on. -Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Found in The Twelve Week Year, Chapter 18: Taking Ownership.

Chapter 19: 12 Week Commitments

The Pitfalls section was kind of where I focused on in this chapter. Not stopping after missed targets. Facing the truth about why you did not meet the goal. Promising things that you are not capable of delivering and committing to too much. I'm on the fence about going public with your commitments. I think this might lead to sharing too much about your hopes and dreams with the world. Maybe to a few close friends, that's okay.

Chapter 20: Your First 12 Weeks

Examples from people's journeys through the 12 week year.
You can only control your actions, not the outcomes, but you have the power to make a change within you.

Chapter 21: Final Thoughts and the 13th Week

The thirteenth week is a week to use as catch up if needed. Or, to look back and celebrate your past 12 week achievements. And to plan for the goals for the next twelve week increment.

References

Amazon link to book.

Overall thoughts on this book:
I did get a lot out of this book, but I thought it became incredibly repetitive, especially the later chapters. I kept reading thinking there was going to be some new information revealed, but it was just a rehashing of the beginning portion of the book. I would have been fine if I stopped reading after Chapter 11.