Why I Don’t Recommend the 12 Week Year as a Female Productivity Guru
Hey there! Today, I want to chat about a popular productivity approach that you might have heard of—The 12 Week Year by Brian Moran. While this book has definitely made waves in the productivity world, I’ve got a few thoughts on why it might not be the best fit for women, especially those of us juggling multiple priorities.
What’s the 12 Week Year All About?
First, let me give you a quick rundown of what The 12 Week Year is all about. The author, Brian Moran, noticed that when people set annual goals, they often coast through most of the year, only to kick into high gear during the last 12 weeks. You know that last-minute hustle before the year ends? Moran believes that by focusing on shorter, 12-week sprints, we can keep that momentum going all year long and get more done.
Why the 12 Week Year Might Not Be Ideal for Women
While the idea of breaking down goals into more manageable chunks sounds great, I have a few reservations about the 12-week planning structure, especially for busy women like us. Here’s why:
- Hustle and Burnout Culture: The 12 Week Year leans into a hustle mentality, which can be a fast track to burnout. Sure, taking action is super important, but living in a constant state of urgency can be draining—especially when we’re already managing so much.
- Pressure on the Nervous System: This constant push can actually overwhelm our nervous systems, making it harder to stay productive in the long run. That’s why I’m all about a more gentle, sustainable form of productivity that works with, not against, our natural rhythms.
- Masculine vs. Feminine Productivity: The strategies in The 12 Week Year seem to be designed with a more masculine approach in mind, where work often takes center stage. But for many women, life is about balancing work with family, health, community, and so much more. We need a productivity strategy that reflects that.
- Capitalism Over Quality of Life: The book’s approach might be great for business goals, but when it comes to improving our overall quality of life, it falls a bit short. Productivity should be about making our lives better, not just increasing our output.
- Limited Representation of Women: There’s only one example of a woman using the system in the book, and it’s all within a work context. The goals discussed are mostly performance-based, which doesn’t always fit with the holistic, multifaceted goals many of us are working toward.
What I Do Agree With
Now, don’t get me wrong—there are some things I like about The 12 Week Year:
- Lack of Execution: Moran is spot on when he says that most people don’t follow through on their plans because they don’t feel that sense of urgency.
- Parkinson’s Law: He also touches on a great point about how tasks tend to expand to fill the time we give them. By limiting our timeframes, we can push ourselves to be more efficient.
- Compelling Vision: Having a clear, compelling vision is crucial for staying motivated, and this is something I emphasize in my own planning methods.
- Weekly Planning: Moran and I both agree on the importance of weekly planning—not just as a to-do list, but as a strategic plan that guides our actions.
- Commitment is Action: Commitment isn’t just about setting goals; it’s about taking consistent action to achieve them.
Why My You Got Goals Method Is Better Suited for Women
After working with so many incredible women on their productivity and planning, I developed the You Got GoalsMethodology, which I believe is a better fit than the 12-week sprint approach.
- Annual Goals with Quarterly Milestones: Instead of focusing only on 12-week sprints, I’m all about setting annual goals with quarterly milestones. This way, you can manage multiple priorities across the year while keeping things balanced.
- Managing Multiple Priorities: Annual goals give you the flexibility to plan for the right times to tackle different tasks, ensuring a more sustainable approach to productivity.
- Long-Term Planning: Women often have goals that require longer timeframes, and annual planning allows us to look beyond just 12 weeks, which is often necessary for the kinds of goals we set.
- Mindset Integration: My method also weaves in mindset work, helping you feel a positive sense of urgency and accountability without the stress of a ticking clock.
Looking for more productivity and planning strategies that work for women?
If this resonates with you and you’re looking for productivity and planning strategies that really work for women, I’d love for you to join my Charmed Life Master Mind. Inside, you’ll get access to my complete productivity and planning philosophies, including my You Got Goals Workshop series and the You Got Goals Planner. These tools are all about helping you set and achieve your goals in a way that feels good and sustainable.
If you’re just getting started, you can purchase my annual goal-setting and planning workshops separately. But when you join the Master Mind, you get so much more—a resource library with hundreds of classes, inserts, workbooks, recordings, and more. Plus, we have three live calls per month, along with on-demand coaching and accountability from me within our private group coaching community.
Ready to take control of your goals and create a life that truly reflects your priorities? Click here to learn more and join us today!
xoxo,
