Spring Is Sprung: A 90‑Day Planning Reset

In business and in life, planning is a lot like gardening. We plant seeds of ideas, which are our goals, then plan how to achieve them by nurturing them, just as you would when fertilising and watering your garden.

There is also a need to trim and make changes as time goes on to ensure results can be achieved, and this is the same with gardening. There is a need to prune, remove weeds, and replace plants, as some grow and flourish well while others do not. Even if you are not a gardener or like gardening, you may understand this comparison. If not, then read on.

What Matters Most

A universal truth is that we all make time for what matters most, and we do this consciously or unconsciously. Watching TV or sleeping late may be a priority for some. Shopping or lazing at the beach may be a priority for others. Achieving success in business or a career may also be a priority, and it requires setting clear goals.

However, choosing to watch TV or sleeping late instead of doing the activities and tasks associated with your goals will not help you achieve the future success you want. Achieving long-term goals related to wealth, health, happiness, relationships, or a thriving business requires setting specific goals to achieve your strategic objectives.

Spring is Sprung

When I was a young girl, my Mum would say this little ditty with a big smile on her face: “Spring is sprung. The grass is ris. I wonder where the flowers is. The bird is on the wing. Now isn’t that a funny thing. I thought the wing was on the bird.” My children then grew up hearing this from me, and subsequently, my grandchildren have also heard it, accompanied by a big smile.

This always brings back wonderful memories, which I love creating with my own family. This brings me back to gardens and planning, because great memories are created when we know what we want to achieve and are willing to put in the work to make it happen.

“Discipline is simply choosing between what you want now and what you want most.” Abraham Lincoln

Most gardens have birds in them, and while planning is like gardening, the actual plan is like a bird. But the plan is not the wings of the bird—the work is. The discipline, habits, time blocking, and lead measures are what lift it off the perch and give a plan wings. Without consistent action to give wings to your plan and bring it to life, your goals are just wishes.

Nurture a Reset

To achieve anything, we must act on our goals and bring the plan to life on a monthly, weekly, and daily basis. We need consistency in showing up for ourselves and others, which takes discipline. Abraham Lincoln left a significant legacy because he had long-term goals and believed that “Discipline is simply choosing between what you want now and what you want most.”

If you want to put more wings on your plan than treat your goals the same way as you might treat a garden. Persevere and give your plan the dedication and discipline to clear the weedy clutter, refresh your commitment habits, and nurture a reset for your next 90 days so execution feels clean and focused.

“A plan won’t fly without dedication, perseverance, or wings. A plane won’t fly without those things either, though of those three things, wings are the most necessary.”

Jarod Kintz

Quarterly Planning

The destination with goals matters. However, the route needs to be flexible, and this is where quarterly planning comes in—your spring clean to give your plan wings. Quarterly planning provides a focus on the next 90 days in a way that a yearly plan cannot.

Setting goals is the first step to achieving them. When you can articulate and put language to what you wish to achieve, it will be available because you know what you wish to achieve. If you cannot language it, you cannot have it because you do not know what it is! Having a plan starts with setting goals, and as Steve Maraboli highlights, "If you don't know exactly where you're going, how will you know when you get there."

Brain-Friendly

Our brains thrive on short-term goals. Three months is the right stretch to keep us committed without feeling overwhelmed. It provides a tangible horizon, close enough to keep us accountable yet long enough to see significant progress.

Adaptive

In today’s fast-paced world, reviewing a yearly plan, even if done regularly, can be overwhelming and lead to procrastination and ineffective strategies that may hold you back. Quarterly planning with 90-day cycles offers flexibility to pivot, adjust, and refine your approach while measuring progress.

Sharp Focus

A 90-day time frame promotes focus and prioritisation. You're more likely to concentrate on what truly matters—the important rather than the urgent—cutting out the fluff and making every day count.

Measurable Progress

The end of the quarter offers an opportunity to assess results, gain insights and recalibrate based on facts. This fosters a strong feedback loop to recognise successes, learn from errors, and adapt activities for the upcoming quarter.

Sustained Momentum

Quarterly check-ins establish a rhythm. From quarterly, break down to monthly focus activities, then to weekly, and finally identify the daily priorities. This creates a sustainable cadence for showing up with dedication and discipline.

Spring Clean Checklist

Use these ten tips to review your approach to planning:

#1 - Set the destination

Write one overarching goal for the quarter that is a clear outcome to be achieved by the end of the 90 days. Ensure it is measurable and determine how you will measure success.

#2 - Prune your goals

Identify the 1–3 key leveraged activities, based on this goal to be achieved over the next 90 days. Everything else goes to the parking lot for future quarters.

#3 - Pick your lead measures

Choose 2–3 inputs you can control each day and integrate them into your routine. Assign resources and dedicate yourself to their completion. Lead measures drive the lag results.

#4 - Time block

Put recurring time in your calendar to perform these activities. If it isn’t scheduled, it won’t happen.

#5 - Design your bookends

In the morning, move, set the top 3, and add to your planner. In the evening, review achievements, wrap up the day, and prepare for tomorrow. Strong bookends protect the middle.

#6 - Weed the distractions

Delete low‑value meetings, tidy your workspace, turn notifications off, and remove time‑waster apps.

#7 – Create a scoreboard

What we measure, we manage. Keep it visible, simple and daily. When you see progress, you protect it.

#8 - Weekly review

Spend 20 minutes and identify what worked and what didn’t. What will change over the next week? No drama—just data and decisions.

#9 - Monthly reset

Allocate 60 minutes at the beginning of each month to re‑prioritise, re‑allocate, and re-commit. Essentially, you are spring-cleaning your plan every four weeks.

#10 - Accountability

Set up an accountability framework, either with yourself or someone else. Check in weekly or monthly, focusing on the lead measures. Ask yourself, “Did I do the work?”

Get started now

You don’t need a perfect week; you just need repeatable weeks.

1. Write your 90‑day outcome in one sentence.

2. List 2–3 lead measures you’ll track daily.

3. Block three 60‑minute deep‑work sessions weekly for your number one outcome.

4. Create a one‑page scoreboard and place it where you can’t miss it.

5. Book a Friday 20‑minute review for the next 13 weeks.

To Sum Up

Even when your week feels chaotic, having a weekly rhythm will help create a steady flow to manage the chaos, allowing you to lead effectively. Quarterly planning allows you to adjust your approach, not your goal, and you will be more productive, saving time once you’ve established your morning and evening routines. Now is the time to choose between what you want now and what you want most. Ask yourself, are you interested or committed?