The daffodils are blooming, the trees are fuzzy with the green of new leaves, and the birds are singing. That can only mean one thing in the world of PowerSheets®: it's time for your first Quarterly Refresh! (And if you're using 90-Day PowerSheets, it's time to dive into a whole new planner!)
A signature element of your one-year goal planner, the three Quarterly Refreshes are opportunities to check in on your big-picture vision, recenter on what matters most, break through what's holding you back, and set new goals and action steps that will keep you moving forward.
If you're a 90-Day user, you'll have the opportunity to get the same results by walking through the abbreviated Prep Work at the beginning of your planner.
No matter which version you've chosen for this year, everything you need is in your PowerSheets—but if you'd like a few extra tips, join us to chat all things Quarterly Refresh today!
Tips for your PowerSheets Spring Quarterly Refresh
1. Before you dive in, quiet the noise.
When we do this, we have the space to gain a new perspective on the days ahead! A refreshed mind is better able to make good decisions, and better prepared to live them out. This could look like setting aside your phone, turning off the TV or your computer, taking a quick walk outside, "brain dumping" for 10 minutes, or taking your PowerSheets and a pen to a new part of your home (bring your coffee and call it a mini retreat!).
2. Check in on your Cultivated Life Evaluation.
As you evaluate where you are now and how the last three months have gone, flip back to your original CLE (pages 12-13) to see how you scored yourself at the beginning of the year. This can help you notice where you've made progress, or where a different approach or more effort might be needed.
If you need help jogging your memory, flip through the pages of your calendar or thumb through your phone's camera roll.
3. Look ahead at your planner as you fill out the Prep Work Refresh.
Looking at what was actually on deck for myself in April, May, and June made filling out my "yes" and "no" lists much more specific and impactful! Some of the items I put on my yes list for the next three months: soaking in travel and seeing family, tennis lessons, enjoying soccer season, family bike rides, and embracing a new rhythm as summer begins!
4. Take immediate action from your Keep Moving Forward page.
As you think through which of your goals need more nourishment to flourish, be honest about the pain points and what has been holding you back from making progress. And once you identify what's holding you back or what would have to change to make progress, do something about it!
I identified three goals that felt stuck:
- Creating a personal book from the first 10 years of my blog: It's silly, but I can't get the book layout software to download to my computer, and emailing customer service didn't help. I need to sit down with my husband and see if he can help me figure it out. I'll do that before we turn on a show tonight.
- Writing a big-picture project: I acknowledged (to myself!) that I have been scared to start because this goal intimidates me. The next best step is to break it down into smaller pieces and assign them due dates. When I do this, each next step will feel less intimidating and more urgent.
- Keeping up with my Gospels reading plan: I haven't settled on a specific time of day when I'll sit down with my Write the Word® journals, and so I often failed to complete the daily reading. I decided I would make it the first thing I did in my work day, and moved the journals and my Bible to my work area.
Having written this out, I already feel relief and excitement! :)
5. Use the goal-planning pages however you'd like.
We have 25+ wildcard pages to choose from in Goal School, and membership is included in your PowerSheets purchase! Whether lined sheets for note-taking, a financial check-in, or a decluttering checklist would be helpful for you to move your goals forward, we've got you covered.
Tips for beginning a new volume of 90-Day PowerSheets:
1. Look ahead in your calendar and set aside time for your Prep Work.
In a few pages at the beginning of your planner, you'll answer simple, guided questions about where you are now—what's working, what's not working, and what matters to you—to create a compelling big-picture vision for the season ahead. This is your chance to reflect on the season you just lived, too!
We like to say that reflection reaps rewards, so enjoy this part of the process! Our best tip for 90-Day users? Set a 30-45 minute timer to complete pages 1-17. You'll be completing the Prep Work four times a year, so write what's true and don't overthink your answers!
2. Set your goals for the next 90 days.
How will you live out or move closer to your big-picture vision in the next 90 days? What new goals do you want to set, and which goals from last quarter might you want to continue? Use pages 18-35 to name your goals and make an action plan for the season ahead.
We've given you PLENTY of room to sketch, brainstorm, and write in this section, but these pages are for you: use whatever combination of prompts and exercises are most helpful in this season!
3. Fill in your calendar.
Since 90-Day PowerSheets are undated, take a few minutes to write in dates for the next three months. Each week you'll plan the events of each day, but for now, just set up the correct dates to make your life easier later!
We'd love to hear from you, friends! What progress are you celebrating from the first three months of the year? What did you learn from filling out your Quarterly Refresh? Chime in below!
Emily Thomas
This is His Year: our first-of-its-kind workbook to let your faith inform the goals you set for the New Year.
Set, plan, and track progress toward the goals that matter most, big or small, the things you’ve always wanted to do—with PowerSheets!