Today I want to introduce you to Brian Moran and Michael Lennington, authors of the 2013 book The 12 Week Year: Get More Done in 12 Weeks Than Others Do in 12 Months.
Most of us look forward to a new year with anticipation, and often make New Years’ Resolutions. And we know what happens to most of those resolutions, don’t we? The “work out at the gym” is often toast by the end of January; the “eat healthier and lose weight” one is not far behind. If you are a planner by nature, and believe that writing down goals is more likely to get you where you want to go, then read on. And if that isn’t your belief, reading this book might change your mind.
After studying athletes and highly successful people in business and other careers, Brian and Michael set out to design a system that cannot fail. We all know about creating a vision and outlining steps to accomplish it, but then what? There are 1-, 3-, and 5-year plans; familiar but not easy to succeed at. Ideas are great, but they aren’t worth squat until you act on them. Brian and Michael’s theory involves redefining the year into 12-week periods instead of 12 months. Back to the athlete: dramatic performance improvement often involves focus and concentration on one skill over a short time period of time, followed by focus on the next skill, etc. This focus on one or a very few things at a time for 12 weeks, with celebration at the end of this “year” is effective and satisfying. If you are in sales, or a student or managing a team or just an individual who would like to tap more into your potential, this book is for you. Actually, most of the stuff in here you already know, but there is a big difference between knowing and doing. Thomas Edison said, “If we did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves”.
When I was introduced to The 12 Week Year, I was entering my first real year of retirement after 22 years as a realtor preceded by 10 years of running my own company. There would be no more listings or sales or clients or business meetings. I wanted a plan for the next chapter of my life, and the principles in this book fit me perfectly. It took some time to fashion the first year’s goals. With the guidance of the book’s instructions, creating the first 12 weeks wasn’t difficult. The vision came, and I found thinking in shorter periods of time made the To Do list more focused. My measurement of results has now become less numbers related, of course, and leisure time has expanded. I remain, however, a person who likes to have control of my days and weeks, rather than one who settles to merely react to whatever comes her way. And when you find yourself in a situation not of your design (health, family emergency, business downturn, whatever) the principles you have chosen to adopt will help you to get back on track faster.
The 12 Week Year isn’t just another How-To book. It is a game changer.
