xo ximon

24.3.28 | Q1 – 2024

somewhere in my daily stream of podcasts, audiobooks, and other information sources, the 12 week year concept availed itself as a tool to help me organize my life. i read the book by Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington and decided to give this system a chance. for those unfamiliar, the 12 week year is a straightforward method of dividing up the year into four quarters of twelve weeks each with a week of rest and reflection in between. each week essentially represents a “month” in the “year”. by breaking down your annual goals into small, achievable targets by the end of each quarter, this is intended to make them that much more attainable.

i did some research into how i could create some sort of visual tracking chart in my bullet journal. as mentioned before, my bullet journal is my everything. it holds my handwritten weekly agenda and various charts for the cross marks and stickers to reinforce my many habits. naturally i wanted to be able to keep tabs on this 12 week year system within these same pages that i flip through and update every day. the initial tracking element is a twelve line chart with a square for a cross to be made at the end of each week, a space for the date range, and a longer line where i write in the habits or actions to be taken that move me closer to the finish line. on the opposite page i have the six broader goals for the year, and below them is four large quadrants listing the quarters, their date ranges for 2024, and the smaller targets to hit in each quarter.

this week marks the rest and reflection period for Q1. i am happy to report that i was able to nail down all but two, and even those two i have come extremely close or i retrieved more information about it and am holding to make a decision in the future. some of the goal posts have had to be moved a bit to accommodate changes in focus. as a first time user of the system, it’s probably best to allow for flexibility while staying honest with myself about my capabilities.

so what did i achieve this first quarter? for one, finished my winter semester at pasadena city college with high passing grades, which was a twelve unit semester in a six week sprint! one of the biggest accomplishments of this endeavor was that for the first time ever i earned an A in a college level math class – a true testament to the power of using these systems. secondly, i exceeded the goal number of audiobooks read in this quarter by four, totaling ten books and moving me closer to the big twenty four for the year. one thing i did not close in on was bringing my weight down to 180 lbs. however, i am only five pounds off and 20 pounds lighter than my starting weight in august of 2023, so i am content with the progress. finally, i wrote the beginnings of 10 short stories for a personal writing project and i took the plunge into zumba teacher training in february.

all of these achievements are things for me to manage week to week through habit tracking and setting aside time for the specific tasks that relate to bigger goals. that is more detailed work i may expand on more in a future journal. for now, as an exercise in reflection, i am pleased to report these results and look forward to the start of Q2 next week, even if it does kick off on a mercury retrograde. Q2 brings the hope of finishing six or more audiobooks, wrapping up my spring semester with passing grades, aiming for something near 160 lbs on the scale, writing 12 more creative writing drafts, and launching VOD zumba, yoga, and meditation videos on my zumba instructor page. trust that i have the necessary charts in place and a treasure trove of stickers at the ready to help me get there.

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