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PROLOGUE
The Planning Trap We All Fall Into
Can I be honest?
I still mess up this one thing that derails most people's yearly planning.
We plan for the new school year like the previous December never happened.
Every July, we set ambitious goals and create beautiful action plans. Then completely ignore what last year taught us.
I just finished my year-end review and was about to repeat the same mistakes that derailed me last spring:
→ Committing to 6 new habits when I couldn't sustain 2
→ Setting revenue goals without understanding why clients actually chose me
→ Investing in courses for skills I thought I needed (but never used)
Here's what I've learned:
New year planning without old year reflection is just expensive wishful thinking.
The people who actually achieve their goals start their July planning in December with three uncomfortable questions:
What did I commit to last July that never happened?
Which "urgent" priorities from last year matter zero today?
What did people actually tell me they valued that I ignored?
The best annual plan isn't the most ambitious one. It's the one that admits what you won't do.
Your capacity didn't magically expand over the holidays.
The people crushing their goals next year won't be the ones with 47-point strategic life plans. They'll be the ones who picked three things. And actually did them.
This year, before you plan forward, look backward.
What's one goal you're officially NOT pursuing this year?
Thanks,
Brendan
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