First Quarter Review

When I saw people begin to post reflections of their first quarter last week, I was convinced they had to be partaking in a massive early April Fool’s joke. I don’t now how many times I counted January, February, March on my fingers wondering if they really equal three months. 

When I finally resolved that this wasn’t a trick by the universe, I spent some time wading between jealousy and regret. 

I didn’t have stuff to share about my first quarter in part because I hadn’t set any quarterly goals. Why hadn’t I done that? I couldn’t remember. I just remember thinking about setting 2023 goals and breaking them down into quarters and then weeks and then being TOTALLY AMAZING. And then it was January. And February. March….

I was talking to Marc about this whirlwind of emotions and I heard myself “What do I have to show for this first quarter?!”

And that stopped me in my tracks. 

• I have assisted with three Co-Active courses. That is 67.5 hours of service and learning. 
• I hit my 100 hours of certification coaching. This allows me to to take my final certification exam in May – and yes, I am going to be talking about that a LOT. It is a big deal. 
• I turned 50. 
• I have read sixteen books and have another ten started (this many books in progress stresses me out). 
• I have gone axe throwing, gone to a play, and took a six week Improv class. 
• I got trained and certified to  use a Long Arm Quilt Machine and have three quilts at various stages of completion.
• I’ve done a salt water drift, had a deep tissue massage, and did no online shopping in January. 
• And I launched Sprouts – the newsletter. 

Apparently, I have a lot to show for the first quarter. 

So the question is – do these accomplishments count if they weren’t part of a written strategic plan? Absolutely! Just like I have joy crossing off a list of chores made after their completion, I will gather this list with wonder and satisfaction. 

I believe living this close to strategic plan – even when I’m not fully aware of it – is a result of the amazing coaching and training that I have received from my coach and coach peers over the last eighteen months. I tell my clients when they begin to work with me that the value of coaching is what happens between the calls – not what happens on the calls. The seeds of my first quarter have been planted and tended for a long time time. The time and money I have invested for coaching has been more than worth it. I have been living near my values and goals even though I didn’t have a grid to prove it. 

Working with awareness of the quarters is a new muscle for me. Do you make plans and evaluate quarterly? What are you measuring? And most importantly, what are you celebrating? 

See you next week!