Seasons of Change: My Self-Guided Blueprint towards personal growth & transformation

How much can I accomplish in three months? If I could transform my under-utilized hours into something tangible, what could my life look like? What am I doing wrong or differently from more accomplished people? And lastly, can I truly improve my life and, in the process, see what I’m really made of? These are the questions I asked myself as I contemplated kicking my ass into gear for the next three months. There are years of my life spent watching shows I didn’t much care for, staring at a screen, or sitting on the couch filling my belly with nutrient-poor food that can never be repurchased. That time is gone and has left nothing of value in its place. I can only speculate on all the knowledge that I could have obtained or the talents that I could have nurtured if I had spent my time more wisely. I want to change that. I want to feel accomplished and purposeful with the gift of time. I want to be a better, healthier, and kinder person than I was yesterday. I want to be a person who doesn’t break promises to herself. With positive change and progress being the goal, I’ve created a blueprint for myself in hopes that small changes lead to big results. I’m calling it the Seasons of Change. Each Season will contain specific goals broken up into daily tasks that I will complete over the course of three months. My theory is that if I add a little more effort into each day, I’ll have tangible results at the conclusion of the Season. I have no idea if it will work how I imagined or if I’m going too hard of too soft, but I will complete the Season and reassess after its conclusion. This isn’t an exact prescription for change, only a possible blueprint to reaching my goals.

Table of Contents

How to Begin

Step 1: Create a “Grand List of Goals”

Open a spreadsheet and “Brain Dump” every goal I’ve ever wanted to accomplish onto a spreadsheet. “Brain Dumping” is the process of writing down (aka “dumping”) all of the goals that I’d like to accomplish, without judgement on their possibility of success or completion. Goals to include:

Every grand or outlandish idea I have
Every book I’ve ever wanted to read
Every subject I want to learn more about
Every physical activity or sport I want to try or improve upon
Every art/craft/talent I’d like to pursue
Languages I’d like to learn
Qualities that I admire in others that I’d like to better cultivate in myself
Bad habits or unhealthy patterns I want to remove from my life. I’m classifying these as “Stops” on my list

Sort Goals into logical groups.

Sort my goals into groups. Examples would be Books, Studies, Arts/Crafts, Traits, Physical, etc.
Rank them based on which goal I would prefer to work towards first or by order I’d ask them to be granted in if I had a fairy godmother.
Note that some goals can be accomplished in a day, where most will take months and some are goals that last a lifetime and can never be truly “checked off”.
Keep a Notes file on my phone to add any other goals that pop into my head that can later be transferred to my Grand List

Step 2: Choose which Goals I want to achieve during this Season

My plan is to focus on one goal from each group during the Season. Depending on the particular goal, this may or may not be possible every Season.
Choose no more than two intense goals in each Season to avoid burnout or quitting.
Goals that require more than one Season will be added to each subsequent Season until complete.

Step 3: Break Down Season Goals into Daily Tasks

Determine what is needed to be accomplished daily or throughout the week to complete the Season goals and break down those tasks into subgoals. Example: if I want to gain physical strength then I need specific subgoals such as lifting weights three or four times a week baked into my weekly tasks
This is where Know Thyself (see below) and being realistic will take precedence.
Create concrete tasks. Avoid “workout today”, instead the task should be “Perform Upper Body Workout” or “30 minutes of cardio”.
Set up the tasking based on my current schedule. If I have a fairly consistent schedule, then it’s best for me to create daily taskings with my off-work days being where I can concentrate on using my free time on longer tasks. If my schedule is inconsistent, use weekly tasking and simply check off the tasks that are complete throughout the week.

Step 4: Setup a System to Track and Monitor my Progress

Download a tracking app. I have used the Tick Tick app for over a year and it does exactly what I need it to do. I can create tasks to start on a certain time or certain day, make them occur once or repetitive.
Set up daily and weekly tasks. Use the app as my blueprint and map for getting towards my goals. The app will have all the tasks needed to be completed each day.
Realize that having and tracking goals takes up mental energy and adds to my mental load. Suggest making the tracking as easy as possible to lessen this.
Rearrange my schedule when needed and bring forward tasks when possible.

Step 5: Create an Easy System to Document my Goals and Progress

The Tick Tick app will allow me to check off tasks as their complete but I also like to have a paper trail of what I achieved each day. I have a small daily planner that I purchased from Barnes and Noble back in December of last year which I’ve been using as a mini journal to quickly jot down what I did each day. Even before I created this blueprint, I was successfully using the planner because of how little effort it takes to complete. When used as a mini journal, it allows me to easily track what I accomplished that day, not what I planned to do. The small booklet only provides about two inches of space to write my daily accomplishments, but that’s all I need to scribble down “Upper Workout, Smoothie, Duolingo, 30 minutes watching Spanish television”, etc. If I accomplish all my tasks for the day, then I can write “All tasks accomplished”. I can also use the booklet to track what tasks didn’t get completed that day (I know I won’t be perfect) so I keep an accurate accounting for my end-of-week tally. The goal of is to keep it simple and not add an extra task to my day by requiring myself to spend 20 minutes every night writing what I did. An exception to this would be if I actually have something more to say that won’t fit into two inches of space. In that case, I can use a typical journal to write down my thoughts. An example might be where I have a goal to be ‘more patient and kind’ but I had an interaction with someone earlier in the day where I became visibly exasperated at them or had regret with how I spoke to them. I could then use the journal to write down that encounter and how I’d do it differently if I could, ways that I can improve for next time, and if possible, how I could apologize to them. I will only journal when I have something to tell or teach myself. Daily journaling isn’t for me, but I do see a lot of good in it so I will write when I have a reason, but not simply to add another task to my day.

How to Prepare

The list below will vary depending on the type of goals I’m aiming to accomplish, but the purpose is to remove distractions and provide a clear head to start fresh.

Set up area for Studies or Arts/Crafts.
Clean up my chosen area BEFORE I start. Don’t let clutter or unpreparedness become a distraction or an excuse to hold off progress on day 1.
Plan out how I’m going to get to physically get stuff done. Example: How will I get to the gym X number of times per week? Do I need to account for traffic?
Purchase ingredients I may need for meal planning.
Download and setup a tracking app (see above).
Keep what I need in an easily-accessible place. Example: I have weak grip strength partially from a surgery on my right hand at 14. To improve my grip strength, I purchased hand grips a few years back but they stayed in a drawer in my garage where they were hidden out of sight and therefore, out of mind. I’ve since brought them up to my loft and put them in an unused makeup bag where I store a nail filer, lip balm, pens, and any other little things that I don’t want floating around and junking up my area, but that I grab regularly. With the hand grips now in an easily accessible location, it will be convenient for me to reach for them.
Remove as many distractions as possible. Depending on one’s living situation that may mean getting some noise cancelling headphones, a white noise machine, lo-fi music playlist, or finding a quiet place like a local library.
Lighten what’s possible of my mental load. All those little things that have been sitting in my brain taking up space (such as doctor appointments that need to be scheduled, oil changes, and the other mundane bits of life) need to be written down and possibly scheduled for future dates or if possible, completed before I kickoff the Season.
Schedule any necessary classes. I knew I wanted to learn a craft and I also knew that my local library has wonderful classes for crocheting, sewing, knitting, etc. because I completed 12 weeks sewing class a year prior and had an excellent experience. Unfortunately, I didn’t maintain the practice so I’d probably want to find a refresher course or another class that sews different projects. For this Season, I signed up for “Let’s Crochet Level1” which is a 1.5-hour course near me. Hopefully this is enough time for me to learn the very basics so I can continue to learn through YouTube videos on my own. I purchased and inherited some crochet supplies so I was prepared on that front.
Perform a trial run. Spend a few days or up to a couple of weeks testing the waters of my intended daily tasks to see if I have the necessary tools and requirements needed to complete them.
Pick a day to begin. Either start on a Sunday or the first day of the next month.

How to Stay Motivated Throughout the Process

Create a short manifesto or bullet point summation of what I want to accomplish and why. Do I want to prove that I can keep a promise to myself? Have I always wanted to learn a skill but never prioritized it in my life? Do I not want to feel like I’m wasting too much of my life on time suckers (scrolling, games, YT) and instead want to know that I have control over my actions and mind?
Set a reminder to review my progress to discover where I can improve. Questions to ask myself? What specific tasks am I struggling to get accomplished? What may be preventing me from taking concrete steps to make a real change?
Find my strengths and lean into what’s working.
Discover my weaknesses and round out the edges if possible. Experiment to find how I can erase them from my life, live with them, or not let them control me.
Reward myself with something at the end of each Season. I can also choose a small reward for myself if I completed all my tasks for the week. Perhaps an extra half day break, or a better tool for my craft if I’ve stuck with my schedule as an example. Any reward should do as long as it’s something logical and not counter-productive to my goals.
Realize that I’m not going to magically wake up one day transformed into my ideal self. Self-improvement comes in small changes and little wins. Remember that perfection is impossible. I’m always going to want improvement and continually move the goal posts as I better myself, which is a positive, as long as an impossible destination for my future self doesn’t become an oasis in the desert; something I can see, but never reach, and will only leave me thirsty for what will never come.

My Rules and Requirements

Allow myself one full rest day every two weeks and a half day of rest every week.

Rest time is time where I don’t have to stick to a schedule. I can sit in my sweats and binge watch television with my pups, put a jigsaw puzzle together, go to a park with my friends, etc. It doesn’t matter what I do since it’s time for me to do whatever I please without regret or internal pressure on myself to progress in any way. The goal of a rest day is two-fold: It gives me something to look forward to when I’m struggling to push through with my tasking or having a hard time motivating myself. It also allows me time to refresh. I don’t want my goals and schedule to completely envelop my life as the entire point of this process is to improve my life. If I’m burnt out, miserable, or worn down, then I’ve lost the reason to continue. A rest day is not a requirement, but it is allowed.

Allow myself the ability to swap out a goal if it isn’t working for me.

The requirement for this being that I have to give it a minimum of two weeks. If the goal is too overwhelming for me at this point in my process, then I’ll give myself some grace to swap it out with something else on my list and come back to it when I’m feeling stronger or have stronger habits.

Don’t pack too much into a day or week.

This goes back to Know Thyself where if present me tries to schedule too much, it will only create disappointment for future me. Start with less than I think I can do, then reassess after some time has passed. Build in breaks into my day and allow myself to stop for the day if all tasks are complete. Build in time for fun and relaxation.

Be flexible in my schedule (but not too flexible)

Example: If I didn’t sleep well and my body wants another 30 minutes of rest and I don’t have work or a prior commitment, then I’ll give myself the extra rest but still require that I complete all my scheduled tasks. If I become too lax though, then a day or two can drift through my hands by self-promises of “I’ll do it all tomorrow”. I don’t want to get to a place where I’m always playing catchup, get defeated, then just give up. I need flexibility within a defined structure. Life happens so if I’m not feeling well or something unexpected (good or bad) wrecks my scheduled day, that’s okay. I will try and make up what I can on the other days. If not, no biggie. It’s what I do with the other 85% of the week that matters. Not going for perfection, only improvement (big improvement).

Know Thyself

I’ve done enough starts and stops over the years with the aim of bettering myself to overcome my laziness and time wasting that I am aware that if I build in too much into my schedule or go “too hard”, I won’t succeed. Therefore, I’ve created a greatest hits list of my excuses along with my virtues and vices to be mindful of.

Virtues and Vices

I can waste away a day like it’s my job but if I frontload my schedule and what I planned to accomplish into my morning, I’m far more likely to succeed. There is a downside to this for me though. If I get a bunch of items checked off my list before 10am, I’ll feel great but then I may tell myself that I’ll take a little break and start back after lunch. Problem is that a break will turn into 3-4 hours completely burned up on absolutely nothing. Telling myself “Just 15 more minutes” can easily turn into 3 hours. This is something that I have to put work in to overcome. I’m not exactly sure what will be the catalyst for me to overcome this, but it will be on my list of transgressions for me to pay mind to as I embark on my journey. I’ve learned that I’m more consistent if I aim for a streak. If I require myself to do something every day that doesn’t require too much time or effort or is easily bumped when a bad day or other life emergency gets in the way, then I’m far more likely to keep the streak alive. I’ve proven this to myself with Duolingo language training and a goal of making and drinking a smoothie every day for a month that I continued as a habit into the following months. Realize that I have to eat healthy for this to work because without strong nutrition, I will run out of energy and often get little headaches in the middle of the day that deters my progress. I feel rundown when fueled by junk food but I repeat this vice when I drop some of my healthy eating patterns on the weekend and end up disappointed in my progress. Know that I don’t to be an expert in everything I’m interested in (unless that is my goal). Instead, seek out information and education from the experts to hone my skills. Be realistic and know that discipline trumps motivation. I may not always want to complete my tasking and goals, but small, consistent progress can get me there if I stay disciplined.

Progress Report

I will post a progress report every two weeks on my blog.
Once I learn what is working for me and can complete the daily goals regularly, then I can start to modify and continually add to my daily routine.
Since I have a Physical goal, I will take monthly progress photos.
Assume as I grow into healthy habits such as exercising, then I don’t have to monitor those goals each subsequent Season or I can continue to monitor them but also have the time and willpower to accomplish more physical goals. Exercising isn’t something that can be stopped or else much of the progress made will be lost and the process will have to be restarted.

Conclusion

Following a trial period to see what works and what modifications need to be made, Season will be the first time that I implement the blueprint above with the goal to make real, concrete changes in my life. There is nothing drastic about what I’ve promised myself to do in the words written above, but it will be harder than my present effort, but almost nothing good comes without hard work. I can’t assume radical changes will occur in my life and with how I use my free time, but the hope is that I use it more wisely not because I should, but because I want to.