Oh April! Three months of 2019 behind me, and I am honestly wondering what happened to March. Seriously, where did it go?
Like big corporations check numbers at the end of each quarter, I’ve recently started holding a QHR (Quarterly Happiness Review) with myself. This year, I’ve given my QHR a little more structure: a template helping me to reflect and to look ahead and find a little extra happiness.
April is an especially critical time: the first quarter of the new year is over. What were all those New Year’s intentions I set? Do I still think is they are important? Have I chipped away at my goals? What do I want to happen between now and July 4th? If something has slipped, now is the time to either let it go or to get focused again.
Here’s how to get started with your own QHR.
Supplies:
- Pen, paper, highlighters, stickers (if you want to get a little crazy)
- 30 – 60 minutes (or more) uninterrupted time
Instructions:
Using the Work Your Happy QHR template, or a blank piece of paper, reflect on the past three months. The template is just a guide: make it your own. I draw mine in my Passion Planner – I want all my plans and goals in once place. Blank paper works, too!
Section 1 | Acting with Intention:
- Focus: What are your 2 – 3 priorities for the next 3 months? How will you know if you’re on track? What can be measured?
- Flex: Work with this section in a way that makes sense for your personal goals. I make mine two sections: 1) things that will take me all year to do that I can easily measure and 2) things that either will or will not be done at the end of the quarter.
Section 2 | Seasonal Bucket List
- Write down the fun stuff! What do you want to this season?
- Get outside: Make sure you’re getting fresh air and sunshine.
- Break routines: What’s something new you can try? Something you want to learn?
- Manage expectations: What expectations do you have about holidays or vacations that are coming up? What are you must-dos? What can you let go to keep things more simple and manageable?
- Tip: Keep this list to under 12 ideas – that’s one a week, and you want to set yourself up for success
Section 3 | Getting Things Done
- Assign milestones for your top priorities.
- Plan any key social plans or special events.
- Refer back to this space for notes thoughts to remember.
Section 4 | Reflect
- Gratitude: Who or what really came through for your this quarter? What was making you happy on a regular basis?
- Toot your horn! Where did you knock it out of the park? Where can you give yourself credit or a pat on the back for being awesome?
- Now I know: What did you learn? What are you going to carry forward?
Why It Works:
Putting pen to paper works some magic between our brain and turns it into a commitment to ourselves. Working within just one page means you’ve got to prioritize – three months is both a lot of time to get sh!t done and not enough time to do elaborate planning. Thinking about the specific time of year also makes sure that seasonal traditions and favorite memories aren’t forgotten or rushed out of a sense of obligation. Once you begin doing this each quarter, you’ll have a record to look back and adjust to make sure you’re getting the things done that are important to you.
Share your QHR with #workyourhappy – and if you have your own approach, I’d love to see it.
work your happy 
This kind of overwhelmed me..
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It may not work for everyone – I do it in small chunks of time, and like everything, the first time is the hardest. However, it helps me not get to December and wonder why things didn’t get done over the year. Start small. If you set goals or intentions in January, are you on track?
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