Seasonal Planning & Goals Setting : How to Bring Your BIG ideas to life
As a lifelong goal-setting nerd (competition ranks high in my StrengthsFinder results), I sometimes forget that for many people, goal setting can be a bit intimidating. But while it can feel stressful, goal setting is an amazing tool to live with more intention. By setting seasonal goals, you create a natural rhythm in your life that helps prioritize commitments, align energy with purpose, and bring your big ideas to life.
Here’s a breakdown of how I approach seasonal planning—a crucial part of staying grounded, productive, and avoiding burnout.
What is Seasonal Planning?
Seasonal Planning is a quarterly approach to goal setting and reflection. Rather than waiting until January to make resolutions, seasonal planning encourages you to set and review goals every three months. This more frequent cadence allows for flexibility and course correction, giving you the chance to adjust based on your needs and the energy each season brings.
I love to sync my plans with the energetics of each season :
- Spring: Growth and new beginnings
- Summer: Energy and action
- Fall: Harvest and assessment
- Winter: Reflection and rest
By syncing your goals with these cycles, you can create a balanced life rhythm that supports both personal and professional growth.
Step 1: Seasonal Reflection – Realign with Your Core Values
Life moves fast, and it’s easy to fall into patterns that don’t support your ultimate vision. Maybe you’re skipping meals or pushing workouts aside, thinking there’s no time, or hastily implementing new strategies that don’t align with your long-term goals. Seasonal reflection helps you pause and check in with your core values.
My Practice: Every 90 days, I reflect on the main areas of my life—business, family, community, finances, and spirituality. I use a scale of 1-10 to assess each area, not to judge but to understand where I am and how balanced I feel. This process reveals areas needing more or less focus, providing clarity on where to adjust my energy for the next season.
Reflection Questions:
- Which areas of my life feel out of balance?
- Am I honoring my priorities and values?
- How aligned are my current routines with the life I want to create?
This reflective practice sets the tone for the next three months, ensuring that I’m building a life that resonates with my values.
Step 2: Setting Intentions vs. Goals
One of the most empowering aspects of seasonal planning is differentiating between Intentions and Goals. Understanding the difference between the two helps prevent burnout, allowing you to set meaningful goals that resonate with your authentic self.
Intentions – Your "Why"
Intentions are the underlying values and aspirations that shape your life. Think of them as your big-picture desires for health, growth, relationships, and purpose. Intentions are not tasks you complete but rather themes that guide your actions.
Example Intention: “Be an empowering and supportive parent to my daughter.”
Intentions like this are lifelong pursuits that shape who you are and how you show up. They don’t change much over time but serve as a reminder of the impact you want to make.
Goals – Your "What"
Goals, on the other hand, are measurable objectives with clear outcomes. They’re the concrete steps you take to bring your intentions to life. I aim to make all my goals SMART—Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, and Time-bound.
Example Goal: “Attend a parenting workshop by the end of the quarter to improve communication skills with my daughter.”
Where intentions guide your spirit, goals help you take actionable steps that bring your intentions into focus.
Step 3: Create Consistent Rituals & Practices to Support Intentions
Seasonal planning shines when you create consistent rituals or practices that support your intentions. This approach to intentional living helps you keep your values front and center.
Consistent Rituals in Practice: I learned the importance of consistency through yoga, where the Sanskrit term “Abhyasa” translates to “effort toward a particular direction.” Establishing steady routines helped me see consistency as a powerful tool for growth.
Examples of Rituals:
- Daily: Practicing gratitude each morning to stay grounded
- Weekly: Scheduling uninterrupted family time on Sundays
- Monthly: Reviewing my personal finances and goals to stay on track with my budget
Rituals like these are non-negotiable practices that keep you aligned with your intentions. They build momentum, prevent burnout, and make achieving seasonal goals more manageable.
Step 4: Linking Goals to Projects
It’s one thing to set goals, but achieving them requires turning each goal into a project with clear steps. As the saying goes, a goal without a plan is just a wish.
My Project Approach: Every significant goal, personal or professional, becomes a project in my project management software (hello, Notion & my Sustainable Success Dashboard!). If it’s not in my calendar or my Notion Dashboard, it simply won’t happen. This process ensures every goal has a roadmap.
How to Create Goal-Based Projects:
- Define the Project: For each goal, determine if it’s a one-off or ongoing project.
- Break Down Steps: If a goal feels overwhelming, list out each task, starting with research if needed.
- Schedule Check-Ins: Review projects weekly and monthly to ensure they’re moving forward.
This project-based approach provides clarity, structure, and momentum for your goals.
Step 5: Intentional Action – Bringing Goals to Life
Planning only takes you so far; it’s intentional action that truly brings seasonal goals to life. Breaking goals down into daily or weekly tasks ensures they aren’t just ideas but actionable steps in your daily life.
Make it Visible: I add every task related to my goals into my calendar or my daily dashboard in Notion, making them easy to see and prioritize. This habit not only keeps me accountable but also provides a clear view of what’s next, preventing that feeling of getting “stuck” on a goal.
Questions to Guide Intentional Action:
- What tasks will bring me closer to this goal?
- Are there any potential obstacles, and how can I address them?
- How can I make these tasks visible in my daily life?
By taking intentional action, you set yourself up for steady progress each season.
Why Seasonal Planning Can Transform Your Life
Regularly setting seasonal goals and reflecting on your intentions helps you live a balanced, purpose-driven life. Rather than rushing toward an annual resolution, seasonal planning gives you four opportunities a year to reflect, reset, and realign.
Benefits of Seasonal Planning:
- Increased Flexibility: Adjust goals as needed based on your life’s changing demands.
- Enhanced Focus: Stay aligned with your core values and intentions every quarter.
- Reduced Burnout: Seasonal planning breaks goals into manageable chunks, allowing for growth without overwhelm.
Getting Started with Seasonal Planning
Ready to dive in? Set aside a planning day at the start of each season to establish your goals and intentions, break them down into projects, and map out actionable steps.
Planning Steps Recap:
- Reflect on each area of your life to check for alignment.
- Set Intentions that guide your purpose.
- Define Goals that are SMART and actionable.
- Link Goals to Projects with clear steps.
- Take Intentional Action by scheduling tasks into your calendar.
Remember: Aim for progress, not perfection. Seasonal planning is a skill that improves over time, helping you turn your big ideas into reality one season at a time.
Seasonal planning is your opportunity to reset and realign every few months. By taking this time to set meaningful intentions and actionable goals, you’re creating a life that reflects your values and aspirations. Whether you’re a goal-setting novice or a seasoned planner, give seasonal planning a try—it might just become the best part of your year.
Ready to bring structure to your seasonal planning? The Sustainable Success Business Dashboard is your all-in-one tool to organize and prioritize your goals for each season. Designed for wellness professionals, this Notion dashboard helps you break down big ideas into manageable projects, track client needs, and streamline workflows, so you can stay focused and energized without the stress. Embrace a peaceful, profitable approach to achieving your goals. Get started with your dashboard today!
