The 21 Day Goal Blueprint
123: 21 days. 33 questions. 1 system.
EDIT: Last version was a bit dense. The layout has been redesigned into a clear 21 day (3 phases) system so you can spend less time reading and more time executing. Appreciate you all.
Welcome reader! This is a 3-phase approach to get you the answers you need in 21 days (or less). Better said… Building a system that actually works.
Blueprint Download
Clean version (Print this one out)
The rest of the post below provides a more in-depth breakdown of the blueprint.
21 Day Goal Setting (3 Phase Approach)
Additional reading on the topic:
What you need to know: December is the perfect time to reflect on the year behind you. Wins, losses, lessons, and everything else… December is usually a slow month. Especially for those working in the corporate world. That makes it even better to think through the details and draw conclusions. What is this prep phase about? It will help you get the most out of this. The prep phase is structured into 3 stages. Each phase should take about a week to complete. The 21 days should be more than enough to have a complete overview of your situation.
More In-Depth Breakdown: How Each Phase Should Look
Phase 1 (Days 1 -7): Focus on the past year (completely focus on the past). Let your thoughts run free. The idea is not to push it, but to allow them to come naturally. This will happen as long as you spark that initial idea.
Phase 2 (Days 8 - 14): Focus on the past year and the present moment (shift focus between the past and present → thoughts and putting them into practice). Similar to phase 1. The main difference is that here you start writing things down and keeping track of everything. The difference is that as you build your thoughts over time, you will come up with more of a compounding-like conclusion. Better said, a grand idea that you should put on paper.
Phase 3 (Days 15 - 21): The final and most active phase of goal setting for your upcoming year. The best way to approach it is to divide it into two parts:
Answer all 33 questions to gain better insights into what matters.
Focus on the next year (focus entirely on the future - planning mode). Follow the goal setting principles below to get the most out of it.
Things To Keep In Mind
The idea here is not for you to sit down and analyze things or spend hours doing it. Your thoughts should come naturally as you go through your daily life. That is one reason the blueprint takes 3 weeks and is split into phases. With each phase having a specific goal, you can focus on it.
It is all about the journey in this case… Not the final destination. Focus on insights and what stuck with you. The same reason phase 1 is the most important.
Phases 1 and 2 are more passive. Do not push it. Give yourself time and space, and the things you are looking for will come. Phase 3 focuses on planning and understanding what you want. Basic breakdown and something to keep in mind:
Phase 1 - passive approach
Phase 2 - passive approach
Phase 3 - active approach
Make sure you take the time to answer the questions in phase 3. If you have done the previous two phases right.. You are going to come up with insights you never thought of before.
Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now. - Alan Lakein
33 Questions YOU Want To Ask Yourself
The answers you are looking for:
Did you achieve your previous year's goals? What was the reason for your answer?
What was one key lesson you picked up this year?
What was the major blow you experienced this year?
What was your biggest win?
What was your biggest failure?
What is one thing you want to know more about?
What is one thing you want to know less about?
If you had to pick one word to describe your year, what would it be?
Who was the most inspiring person of the year for you?
What was the most important lifestyle change you made?
What was the best book you have read?
What was one thing you didn't do but wanted to?
What would 10x the year you had?
What area of your life has increasingly gotten better?
What area of your life has increasingly gotten worse?
Have you traveled anywhere this year?
Who was the most interesting person you have met this year?
What is the one thing you want to do more of?
What is the one thing you want to do less of?
What was the best season of this year? Why?
What was the worst season of this year? Why?
What new skill have you learned?
What new skill did you want to learn but didn't end up learning?
One new habit you have picked up?
One old habit you got rid of?
What was your best purchase this year?
What was your worst purchase this year?
What activity made you feel alive?
What is one thing you put too many hours into, but should not have?
What is one thing you have ignored, but should not have?
One thing that had a massive effect on your focus?
Looking back at your year and knowing what you will go through. What is the one thing you would tell yourself?
When you reflect on everything you wrote down. All the answers and insights. Compared to the same time last year. Do you feel you have improved your life?
How to Set Goals You Will ACTUALLY Achieve And Adjust As You Go
Setting Goals You Will Achieve
Read our older work on this topic.
Be realistic. Optimistic. But realistic.
Come up with your ideal scenario (a day or a week) that you can clearly visualize. The reason for doing this is that it will guide you in the right direction.
Break goals into smaller chunks. There is a small chance that one day you’ll wake up and be driving a Ferrari, while the day before you didn't even have a bike. Everyone reading this should get our point. Progress happens naturally.
Actionable steps over everything.
There needs to be a good balance between short-term and long-term goals. Each one builds on the other and allows you to ride the momentum.
Define key areas of your life. For us? Health, personal finance, business, and social (relationships). Give it some time and think it through.
The long-term game is all about damage control. Yes, it is impressive to achieve 2x your income from the previous year. What is not impressive is putting on an extra 20lbs at the same time. Balance. Sounds ridiculous until it is not.
Be prepared to adjust your goals mid-year based on how things are going. The idea here is not to set them once and be done with them. You have to review them.
Your goals will not work out without a ridiculous amount of effort from your side.
Our advice? 80% on goals that can be achieved within 1 - 3 months, and the remaining on those longer ones. What often happens when you plan long-term is that you don't account for variables and how things can go wrong.
Remember never to share your goals with anyone else.
The Review System (How To)
Forget about complicated systems. You need something simple so you can stick with it for years. This should be your #1 priority. Everyone will have their own version and review system.
Adjusting your goals every other week is perfect for most people. Provides consistency without becoming too much or overwhelming. You don’t want your system to feel like a burden.
It should not take you more than 20 minutes per session (less than an hour total each month).
Adjustments are important because there is no guarantee everything will go according to plan… A major change in your plans can delay your goals. Have to keep it real.
The system should be heavily shifted toward short-term goals (1-3 months) to help you take advantage of opportunities and set aside everything else. This doesn’t mean you should not plan long-term. But what often happens is that you can't see the forest for the trees.
Don’t stress it. You need to be accountable without getting sick to your stomach if you don't achieve your plan. It means you need to project better. Which is not a problem… Considering you have more than enough space to do it throughout the year.
FAQ
Does the blueprint need to be followed in three phases, or can it be shorter?
We recommend at least two weeks. Reflecting + planning are the minimum. You could go so far as to extract useful parts and leverage them to your advantage.
Can the blueprint be completed midyear, or is it intended for the new year, given the name and mention of December?
The blueprint can be done mid-year. We chose the new year because most people set new goals at the start of the year. Plus it is December. So why not give them the system they will actually stick with? Also, most people reflect on the year they had. Making it a perfect opportunity. In any case… Blueprint works. No matter which part of the year you decide to try it. Just do it - you won’t regret it.
Why 3 phases?
Because each of them brings something else. If you follow the blueprint right… It will be clear why. It also gives three perspectives on the past, present, (sort of), and future. A hard to beat approach.
Why are there 33 questions to answer? It seems unnecessary.
Wrong. Those questions are a MUST, and you should answer them. Why? Because by doing this, you are going to get the answers you never thought about. Most of the questions follow positive/negative patterns. Meaning? There is a good chance you never asked yourself certain questions.If you had to emphasize one part of the blueprint. What should we focus on?
Learn how to set the goals you will actually achieve and how to come up with a system to review them. Reflecting on this… Maybe we should do a separate post about it.What would you recommend to someone who is following the blueprint for the first time?
Print everything out. Read the printed blueprint. Read the post. Give yourself 20 to 30 minutes to grasp the concept. Start. That is all it takes. The initial effort is minimal. Phase 1 is straightforward and requires no action on your part. Meaning? No excuses.
Good luck. You got it...
Disclaimer: None of this is to be legal or financial advice of any kind.
Thanks a lot BOSS
exactly what i need right now - cheers BoS