Planning your quarter in Notion
We’re officially in January! 2022! How in the world!?
Like many people, I usually feel a big burst of energy to start planning allll the things in January. January feels like such a special time, with all the hope and possibility of the year to come.
But really? January is just a month, January 1st is just a day. You don't need to get all (or any) of your planning done in the first week of the year. You can have a fresh start in February, March, etc. whenever you want.
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 semester at a time. Maybe you focus on planning things you don't want to slip through the cracks (like writing or exercise) and spend less time focusing on planning things that have built-in accountability (like teaching). 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
Last year, I created a quarterly workbook called “Plan With Purpose”. I designed this workbook to help academics and others in higher ed be more intentional in planning towards and reaching their goals.
One thing that I love about this resource is the focus on quarterly planning, rather than yearly planning. A lot can happen in a year! And the world is very unpredictable right now. Planning things out in 3-month chunks is a lot more accessible than planning 12 months at a time.
I've gotten so much positive feedback from folks about this planning resource that I turned it into a Notion template! I love doing my planning and goal-setting in Notion, so turning this workbooks into a Notion template was a ton of fun.
About the template
The Notion version of Plan With Purpose follows a very similar format to the PDF workbook. 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, and it's not often something we're trained to do as academics. 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! You can also check out the other Notion templates that I’ve created.
