#12: Launch Your 90 Day Moonshot Goals and Crush Q4

Reading Time: 5 minutes

When John F. Kennedy took to the podium in 1961, the U.S. was trailing behind in the space race.

That didn’t stop him, however, from setting a goal so audacious that it seemed almost fantastical: to land an American astronaut on the moon and bring him back safely, all before the 1960s ended.

Why did he do it? He wanted to regain national pride, sure, but it was also about proving what could be achieved when a collective vision is laser-focused.

Kennedy didn’t just announce a goal; he set the stage for a cascade of smaller objectives that would need to be met. The development of new materials, innovative computer technology, new theories in physics and mathematics; all these fields had to advance.

On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon, making “one giant leap for mankind.” It was a pinnacle moment, proving what can happen when an audacious goal is broken down into actionable steps, supported by the collective efforts of a dedicated team.

You may not have a dedicated team to help, but setting lofty yet achievable goals are how you make progress in your business and life.

But they need to be broken down, planned out, and actioned with precision.

Each step you complete is a mini-moon landing of its own. You’re not just ticking boxes; you’re making history in your own life.

So, are you ready to launch your own moonshot in these last 90 days of 2023?

Here are some tips to help you crush Q4!

1. Review Your Year So Far

Before looking forward, it’s a good idea to review where you are and how far you’ve come.

It’s time to give yourself a report card of sorts for the year so far.

Actionable Tasks:

1. List all the goals you set at the beginning of the year.
2. Put them into four categories: Achieved, Dumped, Deferred, Procrastinated.
3. Ask yourself ‘why?’ for each. Is the goal still relevant?

Don’t spend too much time wallowing in what didn’t get done. Circumstances change, life gets in the way and the key to success is learning to be adaptable.

Learn, adjust, and move to the next step!

2. Create Clear 90, 60 & 30-Day Goals

Now that you know where you stand, it’s time to get crystal clear on where you’re headed.

Be specific and break your goals down to make them manageable.

Actionable Tasks:

1. Write down 1-3 major goals for the next 90 days.
2. Break those down into smaller goals for 60 and 30 days.
3. Prioritise! If it’s not crucial, it’s a candidate for elimination or deferment.

Be specific!

Don’t write – more email subscribers, write ‘I will attract 1000 more email subscribers to my email list’

3. Set Only 1-3 Main Goals for the Next 90 Days

Seriously, I know that even though I said 1 – 3 above, you’ve set more!

Less is more. The fewer goals you have, the more focus you can give to each, and the higher your chances of achieving them.

Actionable Tasks:

1. Revisit your 90-day goals.
2. Identify the most crucial ones.
3. Trim the list down to a maximum of 3 goals.

We’re all guilty of thinking we can do more than we can. Be realistic.

‘What’s the One Thing I can do / such that by doing it / everything else will be easier or unnecessary?’

Gary Keller

4. Break Your Goals Down to Actionable Tasks

So often we write our goals but leave out the most important part. How we’re actually going to achieve them!

A big goal without actionable steps is like a boat without a paddle. Going nowhere.

Actionable Tasks:

1. Take each goal and list out the smaller tasks needed to achieve it.
2. Assign deadlines for each task.
3. Start tracking your progress.

‘A goal without a plan is just a wish’

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

5. Time Block Your Days

To maximise your time, author Cal Newport recommends designating specific blocks of time to work on specific tasks.

So rather than just having a list of to do’s to work through you have a structured and time-bound list of tasks. This ensures you have set deadlines to start and finish tasks.

Actionable Tasks:

1. Use tools like Google Calendar or the YLB 90-Day planner to allocate time slots for each task.
2. Stick to the schedule. Set reminders if you have to.
3. Adjust as needed but keep those hard deadlines.

‘Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion’

Parkinsons Law

6. Launch or Tweak Offers

Q4 is a goldmine for sales.

Whether you’re introducing new products or jazzing up old ones, make your offers irresistible.

Actionable Tasks:

1. Conduct a mini-audit of your current products.
2. Plan any launches or updates.
3. Pay attention to customer feedback and make real-time tweaks.

7. Eliminate Distractions

Distractions are the enemy of productivity.

Working with your phone pinging every 10 minutes, or suffering constant interruptions decreases the amount you get done each hour or day. Even, switching from task to task creates an attention deficit.

Actionable Tasks:

1. Identify your primary distractions.
2. Use apps to block or limit your use of distracting websites or apps.
3. Create rules around your ‘deep work’ time to ensure no interruptions
4. Batch your tasks, so you’re not constantly switching from one task to another.

8. Celebrate Mini Wins

Celebrating your small wins keeps you motivated. It also provides you the energy to tackle bigger tasks.

Actionable Tasks:

1. Set mini-milestones for your goals.
2. When you hit one, celebrate in a small but meaningful way.
3. Use this energy boost to propel you to the next milestone.

Small wins create momentum and confidence, which paves the way for massive success.

9. Create More Connections

Your network can be a powerful asset.

It’s worth starting to build connections early in your business journey even if you have nothing to offer as yet.

Actionable Tasks:

1. Make a list of people or businesses you want to connect with.
2. Network via social media, email, or even good old-fashioned face-to-face coffee chats should the opportunity arise.
3. For seemingly unreachable people, share their content, send the odd DM thanking them for their influence and just stay in touch.

You never know where some simple messages of thanks might lead.

Your network is your net worth

Jim Rohn

10. Measure & Adapt

What gets measured gets managed. Regular check-ins keep you aligned with your goals.

Actionable Tasks:

1. Schedule a weekly review of your progress.
2. Ask yourself if you’re moving closer to your goals.
3. If you’re not progressing, don’t beat yourself up. Adapt and keep going.

We often forget to review our goals and plans, and just optimistically and sometimes blindly stumble forward.

Get laser focused on what you want to achieve each week and then assess your actions.

What needs to happen each week/day for you to achieve your goals?

Your Challenge

Take some time ASAP to put no’s 1 – 4 into place.

Use Notion, Evernote, the YLB 90 Day Planner or just a simple notebook but plan your next 90 days with precision and give these last 90 days everything you’ve got.

Let’s finish this year on a high note! 🚀