How to get the most out of the last 90 days of this year

Today marks the first day of the last quarter of the year. And that’s a wake-up call. After all, only 84 days remain until Christmas. And really, that means that we’re looking at a handful of days before this year’s work is done… or this year is over, at any rate.
 
Holy cats, where did the year go?!
 
If this makes you realize that you still have quite a bit to accomplish before the year is through… you’re not alone! I had a bit of a “oh man, I need to get to it!” moment when I realized just how much (little) of the year remained. You see, I plan to have the manuscript of my book, “The Stick Figure Strategist,” finished by December 31st. And while I have lots of “pieces” of a book, I have less than three months to turn that draft into a finished manuscript. Flipping the calendar to October suddenly has put a bit more fire under my posterior to get this project done!
 
With this in mind, here’s how I plan to proceed:
 

How to get the most out of the last 90 days of this year

 
Reflect
Take a moment to look back upon the plans you had for this year. If you created a visual plan, you may want to reflect upon the original image instead of the digital version. Review your plan for the year and reflect on the progress you’ve made so far. Be honest with yourself when you do this. Is this still the plan you need to follow for the rest of the year, or does it need an update or course correction? Take this time to celebrate the accomplishments, mourn the losses, and let go of whatever is no longer serving you in your plan.
 
Moment of honesty: Reflecting upon my plans for this book, the only plan I really had for a long time was to get it done by the end of this year. Recently I drew out the structure of the book’s content, but I still hadn’t drawn out how I was going to get my book done. And surprisingly enough, I hadn’t gotten my book done! (Shocker!)

Today I’ll be revisiting my vision for how the book comes together and what it’s really meant to communicate.
 
Refocus
Now take another honest look at your plan, only this time take a look at where you planned to go. Have you already reached that destination? Has the destination changed a bit? Or has it perhaps changed dramatically? Take a few moments to focus in on where you really need to go – what you really need to accomplish – by the end of this year. Take a few minutes to capture this updated goal or destination in the way that best serves you… whether it’s a rough sketch, a report, or a big picture of your desired future state.
 
Moment of honesty: The book I’m writing has changed while I have been piecing together sections of it over the past year. It’s shifted from a straight-up lab/toolkit kind of book, to more of a mindset/preparation book with a toolkit at the end. I also have lots of content already written for my book. The problem is, instead of creating a book, I’ve continued to focus on generating content… without thinking about how it fits into the actual book I’m creating. And that’s left me with over 13,000 words… and STILL no book!

This week I’ll be refocusing on the actual book I’m writing, and culling content to support THAT book. And in order to keep me on track, I’ll draw up representations of the themes for each chapter to help keep me focused on the right content for each section as I do so.
 
Refine
Now that you’ve refocused your vision of what you can accomplish for this year, take some time to refine or update the steps or actions that will get you there. Whether these goals are personal or professional, what we’re looking for is the most powerful path to get you from where you are right now to where you want to be by the end of this year. When sketching out this new path to your goal, don’t worry about capturing every single step to get you there. Focus instead on the first steps to take right now. When you keep your eye on your goal, those initial steps will lead you to the next, most direct ones to bring you closer to accomplishing your goal.
 
Moment of honesty: For me, this refinement part is where the structure and process need to come in. This week, my first step is to separate what existing content supports my true book from the content that does not serve that book’s message or purpose. And considering I’ve got literally tens of thousands of words already written, it may be helpful to see what I’ve already got before I think I need to write any more! Giving myself short pomodoros – or focused, 25-minute rounds of time – to work specifically on this process each day will help make it manageable and reduce the overwhelm.

Because did I mention that I’ve got tens of thousands of words of content to review? ;^)
 
Recycle
As you refine your action plan for the rest of the year, give yourself permission to recycle the parts of the plan that work for you, and let go of the parts that no longer serve.
 
Moment of honesty: Right now, writing for word count no longer serves my goal of completing my book. It’s generated lots of content, but now I need to collapse that content down into the actual book. So I’ll be letting go of my word count goals as I move forward. Instead, I think I’ll switch to a “finished section” focus. To do this, I’ll recycle processes I learned from some of my writer friends, including using an accordion file to organize my written content by book section (thanks, April Elliott Kent!) and following a simple creation process (thanks, Jack Phillips!)
  
Renew
Having refocused your vision of what’s possible for the end of the year, and refined your plan for how you can get there, take a moment to renew your energy and excitement around this plan! What form can this plan take to keep you excited and moving forward? Does it need to be your laptop’s wallpaper? Does it need to be a large drawing posted in your office? Some of my coaching clients post their updated visions and action plans in the bathroom or kitchen, where they’re sure to see it – and be inspired by it – every day. Whatever works best for you, seize the opportunity to renew and recharge your momentum towards making your end-of-year vision a reality.
 
Moment of honesty: In this case, I think my renewal source is to literally mock up my finished book’s front and back cover and put it on another book so I can literally see and touch my “finished” book every day. Couple this with making the needed components the main focus on my post-it planning window, and I think I’ve got a winning approach!
  
Of course, the proof is (as they say) in the pudding: if my “Stick Figure Strategists” book is available for purchase in the first quarter of 2014, then things went well! I’ll be sure to let you know how this process works out closer to the end of the year…
 
What do YOU want to complete before the year is over? And how will YOU get the most out of the last 90 days of this year? Leave a comment and let me know!
 

I cannot wait to see what you draw forth,