Part 4: Why I'm leaving Q3 and Q4 blank (and the "Speaker's Trick" for your 2026 goals)
We’ve done the heart work. We’ve determined our Word for the Year, committed to our three big stretch goals, and anchored them in an affirmation. Now comes the part where most people stumble: figuring out how to actually get them done without getting overwhelmed.
If you are anything like me and don’t purposely break up the work, you may fall into the trap of thinking, "I have an entire year, what’s the hurry?" Before you know it, it’s December, and you’re in another slump.
I’ve learned the hard way that I tend to procrastinate until the last moment, causing stress for myself, my family, and my team by pushing too hard at the end.
To exercise our "muscles of intention" and avoid procrastination, we can use 90-Day Sprints.
📌Step 1: The 90-Day Deconstruction
Look at your Big 3 Goals. Should you focus on one goal at a time with incredible effort? Or do individual goals need to be split into phases like research, experimentation, implementation, and calibration?
This may sound illogical, but I am not a fan of planning too far ahead.
Here's why: If I plan the third quarter in great detail before the first quarter even starts, I overwhelm myself with things that haven't happened yet. Plus, life happens, goals pivot and twist.
Here's my approach to planning for Q1, Q2, and Q3-4:
📌 Step 2: My “Speaker's Trick” for Quick Wins
Even with a 90-day plan, taking the first step can be paralyzing. When I work with people to improve their public speaking, we often start by overcoming their nerves at the start of their talk. My trick? Memorize the first few sentences.
Once you nail those first two awkward minutes, you relax, your brain settles down, and you can ease into the rest of your talk.
Goals are the same! Don't try to "memorize" the whole year. Identify the first three or four steps that will get the party started. These are your Quick Wins.
📌 Step 3: Start, Pause, then Finish (A Counterintuitive Approach)
This may feel backwards, but here is my recommendation for us both:
Start developing your plan. Then stop before your plan is fully formed.
Use the pause to execute the first few steps. This bypasses feelings of overwhelm, accumulates a few "Quick Wins", and builds momentum.
Come back and finish your planning once you have a better grounding in reality and a few quick wins accumulated.
Give yourself a deadline for those first steps, find an accountability partner, and just go do it. Your future self will thank you!
👉Let’s Dialog: What Do You Think?
I’ve shared my strategy for breaking stagnation and building momentum, but I’d love to hear your perspective.
Is this a strategy you would try?
What feels missing from this approach?
How do you personally move from reflection into action?
Your insights matter, and learning from each other strengthens the process.
📢Final Call: Ready to Move Forward?
If you need extra clarity or support as you put this into practice, these tools can help:
The Breakthrough Formula Generator – a proprietary tool to identify your core strengths and ensure your Big 3 goals are aligned
The Book – Pick Your Opportunity, Chapter 4, for deeper guidance on choosing where to invest your time and energy
I’m cheering you on as you shape your next season with clarity and care—turning intention into action, and momentum into meaningful results.