I've found the best way to keep myself Focused and Productive is to break up every year into Four 90-Day Blocks:
1. Research Block (January-March)
2. Implementation Block (April-June)
3. Pre-Season Block (July-September)
4. Championship Block (October-December)
1. Research Block
From January to March you study something NEW.
It always starts with watching film.
Once you've studied the film... reach out to specific coaches and try to learn from them.
Jony Ive, the Chief Design Officer for Apple said, "For Steve Jobs, wanting to learn was far more important than wanting to be right."
The Research Block is a time to engage your curiosity and creativity.
2. Implementation Block
From April to June you look for specific ways to apply what you've learned in the Research Block.
What ideas can help your team?
Richard Feynman said, "If you want to master something, teach it."
The Implementation Block is the perfect time to teach what you've learned.
3. Pre-Season Block
From July to September you narrow your focus and develop an actionable plan for the team.
James Clear said, "Goals are good for setting a direction but Systems are best for making progress."
The Pre-Season Block is when you create the Systems that help your team make progress.
The season has already started by September, but most teams are still figuring out their identity during this block.
Use the Pre-Season to find the Systems that work for your team.
4. Championship Block
October to December will reveal your character. You will be tired so you need find a way to maintain your energy.
In the Championship Block, you lean on what you've Learned, what you've Taught, and the Systems you've Created.
Some seasons your team will be playing for a Championship.
Other seasons your team might be struggling.
Winston Churchill said, "Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm."
Regardless of circumstances, this Block is about bringing Championship Caliber Focus and Energy to everything you do for 90-Days.
I don't think of myself as a particularly disciplined person, but 90-Day Blocks have helped me get more done than I ever thought possible.
I put together the VERY BASIC system I use if you want to give it a try in 2024!
The 90-Day Gameplan: A 3-Month Productivity Planner for Leaders & Coaches
The 90-Day Gameplan is a straightforward Productivity Planner for Leaders & Coaches.
We overestimate what we can get done in a day, but we underestimate what we can get done in year.
In the past 10 years of coaching athletes and leading teams, I’ve found the most powerful accelerator of my productivity is to attack my goals with a 90-Day Gameplan. In 90 Days of focused effort you can establish habits that will lead to long-term Personal and Team Success.
9 Minutes a Day for 90 Days
