Since April 1, 2023, I started doing quarterly reviews and planning of my life after learning about Quarterly Review from Ali Abdaal’s weekly newsletter. This is the first quarter that I experienced tangible benefits from this practice.
For those who usually do quarterly reviews at work, you shall be familiar with this format. Feel free to use the template below that I modified according to my lifestyle.
- Review your top 3 aspirations for the past 3 months, did you achieve them? If not, why?
- What were the top 3 big wins of the past 3 months and why?
- What were the 3 biggest challenges, and what did you learn from them?
- What are the top 3 aspirations for the coming 3 months? And what’s the biggest risk they might not happen? And what are you going to do to mitigate that risk?
Note that it doesn’t always have to be 3 things, you can change the number yourself as our life experiences differ.
Update from my Q4 aspiration
- Can take ownership of the product team (✅10/10). So far so good, all the items on the roadmap are on track and I see improvements in our metrics. I didn’t build a brag book but through writing personal statements and reference letter drafts for my master’s degree and scholarship application, I already did it indirectly.
- Master 3 cooking and 1 baking recipe (✅10/10). I managed to learn Cordon Bleu, mashed potato and marmite chicken. I didn’t bake but I learned how to make Crème Brûlée.
- Write 4x weekly (✅4/10). I set this goal without knowing that I would be applying master’s degree in Q4. As I spent more time writing application essays, personal statements, and reference letter drafts, I couldn’t reach this goal, unfortunately.
- Join 1 event per month to meet new people organically (✅6/10). I started going for bouldering in October and joined a network event in November, but nothing in December except a date.
Top Wins in Q4 and Why
- Investment growth.💰Thanks to this quarterly goal-setting and review practice, I have consistently added cash into investment since Q3 2023. Seeing that investment increased significantly in this quarter proves to me that a steady, diversified and consistent investment strategy suits me the most. The adage, “It’s not about timing the market, but about time in the market,” has been proven true again.
- Appreciate the process and practice non-attachment to the outcomes.💗 I have learned about non-attachment since last year but it was not easy to become fully detached until I read the book “The Practice” by Seth Godin. It taught me that the process is what I can control. The intangible gains, such as skills, knowledge, and experiences, are the true outcomes. This mindset allows me to be more creative, improve, and ultimately achieve more. The best part is that I experience less anxiety and fear now!
- We are better each day.✨ I used to say no to some experiences that I had tried before as I was afraid to be disappointed and hurt again. Then, I realized that saying no to experiences because I was afraid is as if I was saying no to life and growth. We often forget that we also learned from those experiences. We are not the same anymore. We are stronger and wiser. So, when I’m facing the same challenge in future, I will motivate myself with a greater passion or reason and show up as a better version of myself.
- Have fun with people who are not in my intimate circle.💑As a typical INTJ, spending extended periods with individuals who are not my closest friends and family often leaves me feeling bored, and at times, irked by certain behaviors. What’s even more challenging is the anxiety I feel about my ‘performance’—how well I converse, how entertaining I am, and the good times of the interaction. To step out of my comfort zone, I embarked on a trip to Bali with both strangers and close friends. I also took the initiative to host hangouts and became more participative in gatherings with friends. What helped me was ensuring I had sufficient ‘me-time’ and the realization that it might be the last time I meet them, so I might as well make it worth it.
Top Biggest Challenges and What I Learned from Them
- Sticking to my standards. With so many responsibilities every day, sometimes I get lazy and I just want to stay in my comfort zone. When that happened, I accepted things as they were even though they did not meet my standards. After reading “The Defining Decade”, I realized that I had been self-sabotaging myself and wasted time and energy on things I should not. Moving into 2024, I promise to be more intentional and focus on things that will make my 2024 vision board come true.
- Obsession with fortune telling. It started as a self-soothe practice when I felt anxious about not knowing who my partner would be and not being in union with him. At some point, I even did all the tarot card readings on YouTube every day although I did not remember any of the predictions. I learned that this weird habit of mine is not helping me in any way other than making me confused and getting fixated on certain expectations of my life partner.
Top Aspirations for the Next 3 Months
- Create content 3x weekly. Instead of forcing myself to only create in one medium which is writing articles, I’m changing the goal to create in any form. This way, I can experiment with different side projects and determine which ones to focus on next without risking burnout. There are 2 projects that I will be working on: Personal sharing product reviews and self-growth journey (Medium, TikTok, Xiaohongshu), and Wondefull (this blog, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest).
- Secure a fully sponsored master’s degree and a backup plan. It is an extended goal from Q3 as the scholarship and master’s degree interviews take place in Q1 2024. While preparing for it, I will also start looking for other jobs that offer me travel opportunities to expand my desire to see more of the world and I can have more time for my side projects.
- Work out 3x a week (tennis 1x and yoga/pilates 1x a week). I just bought an Apple watch due to an insurance cashback program. To earn the cashback, I will have to work out at least 3 times a week. To be honest, I reached 70% of this goal in Q4 but commitments and ad-hoc incidents got in the way. As I’m easily motivated by financial rewards, I hope that the cashback program can help me reach this goal in the next 3 months. 🤞
Like this quarterly review? Share it on Pinterest – thank you!
