We’re almost there. The last quarter of the year. It’s a great time to make the last few months really count and make some progress, to change your life in these last 90 days. But you can set 90 day goals at ANY time of the year. In 90 days (3 months, 12 weeks) your life can look entirely different, or exactly the same. Which do you want? I’m guessing since you’re here, you want to know how to change your life in 90 days.
Quick Access
Why 90
I think we all know how much things can change in just one year.
That’s one reason why 90 day goals – or quarterly goals – are more effective than yearly goals.
Giving yourself a whole year to complete something makes you more likely to put it off because it feels like you have so much time to complete it.
But then the days slip away and you never took any real forward action on your goals.
Before you know it, the next new year is here already.
90 days is the sweet spot for goals because it’s long enough for you to make substantial progress but short enough to keep you focused.
It’s more of a sprint than a marathon so you don’t have time to procrastinate.
The 21/90 rule states that it takes rule states that it takes 21 days to make a habit and 90 days to make it a permanent lifestyle change.
In other words, it takes 90 days to change your life.
Get Clear
The first step is to get clarity on what it is you want to achieve.
What are your goals and what is the why behind them?
Really dig deep and ask yourself why you want to achieve your goals.
Your why is what will keep you going when things get difficult.
You also want to be sure to reflect on the past 90 days.
How did things go and why weren’t you able to accomplish your goals then?
What obstacles did you encounter and what can you do to avoid them?
Plan
The best way to plan is to make sure that your goals are S.M.A.R.T.
I’ve already written an entire post on how to best set goals so I won’t go into too much detail here.
S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym and the letters stand for: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timed.
What’s most important is that you break down your big goals into the smallest possible steps.
Then write out your steps (on paper!), put them in your calendar, in the notes on your phone.
Make sure you’re reminded of your goals every. single. day.
Put sticky notes on your mirror, set reminders, change your phone wallpaper – do what you gotta do to make sure that you’re reminded of your goals daily.
Mindset Work
Your mindset is so important.
If you don’t believe that you can change your life in 90 days – you won’t. It’s that simple.
You have got to believe in yourself to make lasting changes.
We all have an inner critic that likes to doubt us.
The first thing is to start noticing your negative self-talk and correct it with something positive.
Just recently my own inner critic was berating me:
“Ugh, I’m always running late.”
I quickly corrected that statement with another:
“No, I’m a little behind but I have enough time. I’ll still make it.”
Guess what? I was on time.
If I kept telling myself that I’m a person who is always running late – I would become a person who is always running late.
You have to remember that your subconscious is always listening.
If you keep identifying with your negative self-talk, slowly you will start to believe it.
Be your biggest cheerleader, not your biggest critic.
Show Up
It’s important for you to show up every day for yourself.
Even if it’s in the smallest possible way.
Of course if you can do more, you should.
But we’re not robots and our best does not look the same every day.
Some days are tougher than others, but you still need to show up.
Is your goal to read more books? Read one page.
Is your goal to workout daily? Do one push-up.
One is always better than zero. Try not to have any zero days.
Giant leaps sound good, but they’re unsustainable.
You’ll eventually get burned out and end up giving up.
Instead take small baby steps in the right direction and you’re more likely to reach your goals.
Use the Four Laws
The four laws of behavior change that is.
This concept is from one of my favorite books, Atomic Habits.
I consider them more guidelines than laws or rules, but they are very helpful.
You don’t want to make achieving your goals any more difficult for yourself than you have to.
The more effort that is required to take action the more resistance you will have towards doing it.
You know yourself best so you know what pitfalls you might encounter along the way.
Prepare for them.
If you want to eat better, keep healthy food at the front of the fridge or out in the open on the counter-tops.
Get rid of – or hide – the junk food.
Whichever is more easily at hand is likely what you’ll reach for.
If you want to workout daily, set your gym clothes out for you to put them on first thing in the morning.
Don’t give yourself the opportunity to skip it.
If what you need to do is unpleasant try rewarding yourself with something you enjoy afterwards.
Or if it’s something that doesn’t require focus try listening to a podcast or watching a good show while you do it.
Measure
What are the actions or habits that you need to do daily to push yourself towards your goals?
Make sure you track your progress.
You can do this on paper, in your phone notes, or use an app.
You should just be sure to have something that visually shows your progress.
It will also make it easier to accurately reflect on how you’ve been doing.
Just the action of ticking off a box every day and not wanting to break your streak can be addictive.
Reflect
At 30 and 60 days you should take some time to reflect on your progress.
Take a look at what is and isn’t working.
Make adjustments as necessary.
This is a short section, but do not skip this step!
Reflection is very important.
It helps us grow and improve our processes.
Are you feeling ready to change your life?
I understand that this is a lot of info, so bookmark or pin it to reference later!
Take notes if that will assist you in remembering these steps.
Leave a comment below if this helped you out.
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