Every 90 Days, I Sit Down for a Q&A With Myself

Most people review their year on December 31st. As a coach, I think that's four times too late. Every 90 days, I review and reset. It's a Q&A with myself. Here's how I do it.

First, I reflect on the past 90 days.

I go through my photos, calendar and journal. I write down:

Q: What made me smile, proud, or grateful?
Q: What didn't go the way I wanted?
Q: What’s the headline for it all?

As a result, I get a list of events, meetings, experiences and feelings as my highlights and lowlights. The headline captures the essence of the past 90 days.

For me, this is rewarding because I tend to brush over the cool things I made happen in the past three months. It helps me take a moment to appreciate the good stuff.

Then I capture my learnings and changes I might want to implement.

I also check the goals and focus I set for the last 90 days and beyond. I write down anything worth noting. Skip this step if you don't have any written goals yet. Next Q&A session, you'll have some!

I don't use this to judge myself. If I haven't made something happen, I see it as information to switch things up.

Another favorite part of mine is to check in with my word for the year. Every New Year's, I pick one word that I use as my north star throughout the year.

Q: What do I take away from everything that happened?
Q: How did I do on the goals and focus I set?
Q: How do I feel about my word?

Second, I reflect on the upcoming 90 days.

I want to keep things real. That's why I check my calendar first to spot any important events, projects and deadlines. That tells me immediately if there's a priority ahead.

Then, based on my insights, goals and notes, I commit to a focus for the upcoming 90 days. I don't set more than three goals at a time.

Since I might lose focus on my focus, I visualize it. Write it on a whiteboard, put it in my digital notebook, set a weekly reminder on my phone. Whatever works.

Q: What's already on the calendar for the next 90 days?
Q: What do I want to commit to as my focus?
Q: How will I see my focus daily?

As a last step, I set myself a reminder to come back to this 90 days from now.

This is the Q&A session with myself I've been coming back to for 10+ years.

I change it up now and then to suit my situation, but I keep the cornerstones the same.

Steps:

1. Take out your photos, calendar, journal
2. Write down highlights, lowlights, headline
3. Brainstorm your insights and key takeaways
4. Check your short-, mid- and long-term goals
5. Check in with your word for the year (if you have one)
6. Check your calendar for upcoming events and projects
7. Commit to a focus for the upcoming 90 days (three goals max.)
8. Visualize your focus and set a reminder for your next Q&A session

Bookmark this or screenshot it to do it yourself!