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.

For even more strategies, check out the Planning Playlist from my podcast, Growing a Deeply Rooted Business. Episodes like Goodbye Burnout, Hello Big Moves and The Art of Project Planning share actionable tips for turning your ideas into action. Listen here.

Seasonal Reflection: The Foundation of Intentional Planning

Life moves fast, and it’s easy to fall into patterns that don’t support your ultimate vision. 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.

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.

Setting Intentions vs. Goals: The Key to Sustainable Growth

One of the most empowering aspects of seasonal planning is differentiating between intentions and goals.

• Intentions: These are the big-picture aspirations that guide your life—your "why."
• Goals: These are measurable objectives with clear outcomes—your "what."

To bridge the gap between intentions and actionable goals, I rely on the Sustainable Success Business Planner. This Notion template helps you organize projects, plan content, and track your daily and weekly progress—all while keeping your wellness in focus.

Creating Consistent Rituals to Support Intentions

Seasonal planning shines when you create consistent rituals or practices that support your intentions.

Examples of Rituals:

• Daily: Practicing gratitude each morning
• Weekly: Scheduling uninterrupted family time on Sundays
• Monthly: Reviewing personal finances and goals to stay on track

For more ideas on building intentional rituals into your planning process, listen to The Power of Planning episode from the Growing a Deeply Rooted Business podcast Planning Playlist.

Linking Goals to Projects: Turning Vision into Action

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 becomes a project in my project management software (hello, Notion & my Sustainable Success Dashboard!). If it’s not in my calendar or dashboard, it simply won’t happen.

For a streamlined approach to project planning, the Sustainable Success Business Planner is my go-to tool. With templates for project management, content planning, and goal tracking, it ensures nothing slips through the cracks.

Intentional Action: Bringing Goals to Life

Planning only takes you so far; intentional action is what truly brings seasonal goals to life. Breaking goals down into daily or weekly tasks ensures they’re actionable steps in your daily life.

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?

Make your tasks visible using tools like the Sustainable Success Business Planner, which integrates your goals into your daily dashboard for seamless prioritization.

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:

• Flexibility: Adjust goals as needed based on changing demands.
• Focus: Stay aligned with your core values every quarter.
• Reduced Burnout: Break goals into manageable chunks for sustainable growth.

Ready to Transform Your Planning Process?

Dive deeper into seasonal planning with my Planning Playlist from Growing a Deeply Rooted Business. This curated list of episodes provides actionable advice to help you build sustainable momentum.

Want to take it a step further? Grab the Sustainable Success Business Planner to organize your goals, manage projects, and track your progress—all while keeping self-care and wellness in focus.

With the right tools and mindset, you can create a life that reflects your values, aspirations, and dreams. Start planning today!