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As September comes to a close, I am getting ready to go through the process of my second Quarterly Review, an expansion of the Weekly Review that is a foundation of the Getting Things Done practice.

This will be an especially important Review, as there are some big changes and opportunities coming up in the near future (watch this space for more info!) for my wife and for me.

Quarterly Review: The Basics

I recommend that you keep a notepad or your capture notebook handy while you work through the Review. If you are inspired during the process you certainly do not want the idea to get away! These notes will come in handy during the Brainstorming portion of the Review.

There are six steps to the Review, and if one wishes to be productive and achieve the goals you have set, they are all important. The six steps are presented here in the order that I use for maximum effect. My ADD requires that large-scale undertakings like this be executed in a very orderly fashion, or I will get distracted and lose my motivation.

The order may not be so important, however, depending on your personal style and energy levels. I tend to need some creative inspiration and let things ‘percolate’ for a bit before I get serious about getting into Creative Brainstorming. If you tend to be more creative when your mind is fresh and clear, then by all means do the Brainstorming first.

1. Review 3-5 Year Goals - Is the goal still worthwhile? Can it be moved up to the 1-2 Year Goal category? If you do not want your long-term goals to stay long-term, eventually they will need to be advanced. Is there anything that you can do this next Quarter to get closer?
2. Review Career Goals - This is often one of the hardest questions that you can ask yourself, “Are you where you want to be?” I suggest that you schedule an appointment with a Mentor, in order to help you evaluate this area. If you do not have a mentor relationship, set aside some time to approach prospective mentors and develop this relationship.
3. Review your Purpose - What is it that you are ultimately working to achieve? Are your principles still in line with your goals? A lot can happen in three months, and it is a very good idea to spend some time at the 50,000 foot level, thinking about the highest-level goals.
4. Review your Lifestyle - You may not think that your Lifestyle has anything to do with accomplishing your goals, but those of us dealing with ADD know that lifestyle choices and practices have a large impact. This is the time to consider adopting one or two positive changes that you can make this quarter in order to improve your lifestyle.
5. Review your Support Files - Your Archives, Resource Files, and Tickler File are the base of your Support. You should clean, clear, and organize these files quarterly in order to maintain their use as a reference and to spark ideas in your mind. Keep a notepad and pen handy while you review these files in order to capture these ideas.
6. Brainstorm Creative Ideas - Now that you have reviewed long- and medium-term goals, evaluated your Purpose and Lifestyle, and organized your Support Files, you should have a short list of ideas or concepts on your handy notepad. This is the time for unstructured thinking and generating wild ideas. Envision spectacular success. Imagine what you might do if you knew you could not fail.

David Allen describes Getting Things Done as “advanced common sense”, and I think that you will agree. Following these steps may be somewhat time consuming, but they represent an investment in your future - if you do not know where you are, how can you get where you want to be?

The Next Step

The implementation is obviously going to take a while. I suggest that you set an appointment with yourself in your calendar when you can be sure of interruption-free work time. Approaching this Review with a serious mind can add a lot to your personal productivity and goal fulfillment.

If you found this article useful, I ask that you consider supporting my efforts here by purchasing a tool I developed called 68 Worksheets - The Weekly Review Workbook, a DIY set of checklists for the Weekly, Monthly, and Quarterly Reviews which you can download ($2.95, PayPal account required, click here) .

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If you found this post useful, please share it with your friends on Twitter using the tinylink http://tinyurl.com/5ljxk9. Thanks, I appreciate it! Feel free to comment below, I enjoy discussing these ideas. ~@Stephen