The 12 Week Year Isn't for Everybody

I don't remember how I came across The 12 Week Year, but after reading it, I was inspired to get rid of annualized thinking and get shit done. Unfortunately, after countless failed attempts, I've finally accepted that the concept just isn't for me. It's not that I don't see any merit in the system, I just realized as much as enjoy planning out my goals, when it comes to executing, I put way too much pressure on myself to either do things perfectly or not at all.

For example, if I put an activity on my Google Calendar, but didn't get to it until a few hours later, I just didn't do it. This, of course, caused a ripple effect for everything else I had planned for that day. So instead of forcing myself to live within that rigid system, I just decided to start living as the elevated version of myself that I was working towards.

Instead of carving out a specific amount of time to reach one goal, I prefer to make daily choices that will put me in the position to choose between multiple opportunities that align with the future that I want for myself. This way, if something isn't working out the way I want it to, I won't feel like a failure for working towards it for three whole months. I can just apply what I've learned from the experience to other aspects of my life that are moving in the right direction.

So while The 12 Week Year might work for others, it just wasn't my jam. I do, however, continue to incorporate lessons from the following books that align more with my lifestyle: Atomic Habits by James Clear, Grit by Angela Duckworth, Leo by Sarah Kirkman, and The Black Girl's Guide to Financial Freedom by Paris Woods.

So here's the takeaway: don't put too much pressure on yourself to make drastic changes in a specific timeframe. The overall goal is to improve your lifestyle for the long term so focus on consistently making choices that elevate your life right now.

P.S. Stop watching productivity videos. Those "gurus" are profiting off of your attention. Start making your attention expensive!