31 days.
That’s how many days we have left in this year. And yet, there is still plenty of time to end this year with a BANG!
I’ll be honest. At the beginning of this quarter, I wasn’t so optimistic. As I reflected on the past 10 months, I became overwhelmed by flashbacks to all the weddings, baby showers, birthday parties, business and leisure trips, product launches, work deadlines, and sleepless nights I endured and attended. I had no regrets, but I was genuinely concerned because I managed to party and work the whole year away without accomplishing any of my major goals set for 2018. I knew that had to change, so I adopted the 4th Quarter Hustle in the beginning of November.
What is the 4th Quarter Hustle?
The 4th Quarter Hustle is the five-step process I used to accomplish a bunch of my goals over the course of a month. Yes, I launched an online boutique that is thriving, stepped up my social media content creation game, and mapped out a few new side hustles.
If you are concerned about salvaging the rest of 2018 because you were “playing” during the first 11 months of this year, these steps may help you accomplish your goals in a month just like it helped me.
1) Write down your top 3 goals you want to accomplish by the end of the year.
You should review these goals three times a day – when you first wake up first thing in the morning (don’t you dare touch that phone), during your lunch break, and before you go to bed.
Reviewing your goals multiple times a day will help you focus on doing the things that will enable you to accomplish your goals. Reviewing your goals over and over will help you attract your desired outcomes. Don’t ask me how. I just know, between God and the universe, things start to align and conspire in your favor. If you read The Alchemist or The Secret, you know exactly what I am talking about.
2) Write out all the steps you have to take to complete each goal.
I recommend limiting the execution of each goal to 4-5 steps. This makes your goal appear digestible and easier to accomplish within a short period of time.
3) Assign deadlines and work dates/time for each.
This is self-explanatory. You don’t need me to walk you through this. My only advice is to be realistic about what you can and cannot do during your day.
4) Create a schedule for each day of the week and stick to it.
Write out everything you plan to do during every waking hour of your week. I recommend:
- Factoring in 30-minute cushions for tasks that may spill over; and
- Creating a schedule that allows you to knock out 1-2 steps a day.
Depending on your work ethic, you can start by knocking out your easier tasks first. This approach helps you build momentum and the confidence needed to execute the harder lengthier tasks.
Alternatively, if you get bored easily, couch the quick/easy tasks between the lengthy/hard tasks. For example, if you have a task that will take 4 hours, break it up into 60-minute increments and give yourself a break from the big task by working on the smaller tasks. Doing this helps you break up the monotony of working on a long project, reinforces the fact that you are getting a lot of work done, and reduces your chances of becoming unproductive.
5) Employ a checklist method that keeps you motivated and moving.
I like using Myliek Teele’s journaling/checklist method to stay on top of my daily to-do lists. Basically, you create a to-do list and use an orange highlighter to cross off the things that you complete as you go. At the end of the day, use a yellow highlighter to highlight the things you did not finish so that you can pick up where you left off on the next day.
This approach is great because it keeps you organized and accountable for completing everything you write on your list. Remember, the purpose of creating a schedule and daily to-do list is to map out everything you need to do to accomplish your goals. So, completing every item on your list is a MUST and this method helps with managing that.
OPTIONAL: Enlist an accountability partner (AP).
If you aren’t as disciplined as you would like to be, enlist an accountability partner to help you stay on track.
Your AP should:
- Feel comfortable enough to pester you about completing your goals;
- Believe in you and your dreams; and
- Encourage/motivate you to move forward when you experience setbacks that toy with your morale.
I have a few accountability partners, and I highly recommend getting one during this one-month period.
Final thoughts on this topic…
Anything is possible if you put your mind and heart to it. If you have that nagging desire to do something, don’t waste time. Just do it! Come up with a plan and execute. You’ll be surprised to find you have more time and resources than you think.
The steps above work. If you take the time to follow these steps and execute your plan diligently, you WILL achieve your goal or get super close to achieving your goals.
I am a living testament to this. It’s the last day of November and, somehow, I managed to:
- Launch my online boutique, House of Chiemela;
- Outline my business plan for a new stream of passive income; and
- Implement a social platform growth plan, which has resulted in better engagement across my social media platforms, more website visits and channel views per week, and more subscribers…Yes, I’m celebrating the mini victories!
I am not sharing this to brag, I am sharing this to prove it is not too late to get started. There is still plenty of time to accomplish all of your goals. You just have to be willing to put your head down and commit!
What goals do you want to complete by the end of this year?