Hi there,

Hope your year is off to a good start. We had a great winter break at Rise, where the folks who didn’t take time off got to work on whatever we wanted.

Emiel Janson @emieljanson

I built this webpage in a day using @framer. ❤️hiring.risecalendar.com And yes, we're hiring another back-end engineer.

I also focused on my own YearPlanDay, which was great. The look back in particular is always incredibly beneficial. It never fails to turn up things I’d completely forgotten or give me fresh insight I’d otherwise miss.

If you still want to experience those benefits and make some exciting plans for 2023, it’s not too late! In chapter 6 of GRIP and in this newsletter, I guide you through the process step by step.

All sorted on the YearPlanDay front? Then here are some other things you can do today that will help you out tomorrow (and the next day and the next).

Doing a YearPlanDay-light

Believe me, I know how tough it can be to find the time. With two young children in the house, there’s zero chance I’ll just stumble upon a quiet moment. And even without that kind of distraction, there’s always something clamoring for our attention.

So if you haven’t done your YearPlanDay yet, consider doing an abbreviated version this time around. It’s easy. This is how I do a YearPlanDay-light:

Look back on 2022: Grab your calendar and photos and write down what you enjoyed and what you’re not as happy about—the highlights and lowlights of your year.
Come up with 3 to 5 things you’d really like to do this year, or would like to do differently.
Make 2 of them—3 tops (we’re already halfway through January after all)—into concrete goals for the first quarter of 2023. A goal is something you’re excited about and that’s specific enough that someone else can objectively see whether you’ve met it.
For each of your 2 or 3 goals, come up with the first step you’ll take in the coming week or two.
Go over your goals in your Friday recap this week and then each week in February and March. (Or find some other way to see them and read through them regularly. You could post them on the fridge, mirror, etc.)
Make an appointment with yourself now for sometime late March/early April: a moment to look back over Q1 and look ahead to Q2.

If nothing else, do the highlights and lowlights. Looking back at everything that’s happened this past year can be super powerful. It’s sure to change how you approach the year ahead—even if you don’t set explicit goals or make any further plans right now.

Have a good week,

Rick

Work in Progress

It’s not too late for a quick YearPlanDay