Planning your quarter in Notion
If you're anything like me, you probably have a running list of goals that never quite gets tackled. Not because your goals don’t matter or you don’t care enough, but it’s hard to make time for planning and goal setting without some kind of structure. And you might feel a lot of pressure to plan in the “right” way or at the “right” time.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for setting goals. Naming what you want to work towards and measuring your progress is the best way to make sure it happens. But you've got to make your goals and goal planning work for you. Maybe that means you plan things out one month or one quarter at a time. Maybe you focus on planning things you don't want to slip through the cracks (like marketing or exercise) and spend less time focusing on planning things that have built-in accountability (like client work). Maybe you start your planning in January and finish it in a later month.
Planning only works if you do it in a way that works for you.
For me, that’s what’s at the heart of planning with purpose. Being intentional and flexible with how you plan, and focusing on planning in a way that works with your life and needs.
Planning With Purpose
Having goals isn't the hard part. Making consistent progress on them is.
That's what Plan With Purpose is for. I designed this quarterly planning template to help self-employed coaches, therapists, and solopreneurs get clear on what actually matters to them and then make real progress on it, a few months at a time.
Why quarterly? Because a lot can happen in a year. Planning things out in 3-month chunks is a lot more accessible than planning 12 months at a time, and honestly? It's just more realistic about how unpredictable running your own business can be.
About the template
The template is divided into three sections: Reflecting on priorities, planning your goals, and tracking your progress.
Reflecting on your priorities - A foundational part of planning with purpose is to first get clarity on your priorities. Finding this kind of clarity isn't always easy, especially when you're self-employed and constantly pulled between client work, business development, and everything else on your plate. This first section guides you in actively reflecting on your priorities. First, you’ll reflect on the different areas of your life, identifying which areas feel fulfilling and where you’d like to make some changes. You’ll also spend time reflecting on what you want to prioritize and what you want to let go of in the coming months.
Planning your goals - After reflecting on your priorities and hopes for the coming quarter, this next section will guide you in reflecting on and planning out your goals. First, you'll spend some time brainstorming your goals for this quarter. Next, you’ll prioritize your goals, ideally focusing on 2-4 overarching goals to focus on. You'll also reflect more about your goals and break them down into monthly goals and tasks. Nothing makes big goals feel easier quite like breaking them down into smaller steps!
Track & reflect - This final section is designed to be used throughout your quarter. Each month has sections that guide you in planning your month, help you track your task list, habits, and progress, and reflect on what you've accomplished at the end of the month. If you already track your projects and tasks in Notion, this is a great place to pull in some of your databases so you can see everything right here in one place!
Plan With Purpose Notion template
Try the template out for yourself by clicking the button below!
