How good are you at accomplishing your goals?  Is this the year you achieve your greatest goals?  The ones that could change your life?  Whether it’s the start of a new year, a new month, or a brand new day,  anytime is the perfect time to start making your dreams come true.

For years, I had a hit-or-miss relationship with my goals.  While I accomplished most of my goals, there were times when I completely missed the mark.

It took me a long time to figure out that it can be hard to figure out how to get from point A to point B.

It wasn’t until I developed a 90-day goal-setting process that I finally got on the right track toward accomplishing some of my greatest goals

I’ll be the first to admit that goal-setting is personal.  One size rarely fits all.

So I had to design a goal-setting strategy that worked for my life.  Whether I’m identifying goals for my next book, or my business,  I use a  90-day goal-setting process to stay on track.  

So in this post, I’m going to show you how to set 90-day goals.  You’ll also learn eight tips I’ve learned to make goal-setting much easier.

Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using the links.

What is a 90-day goal?

A 90-day goal is a focused, actionable goal that you can achieve within the span of three months.

It is different from long-term goals, which are goals that take more time to achieve. A 90-day goal allows you to focus on something specific and achievable in the near future, like learning how to cook a new recipe, running a 10K, or mastering a certain skill set.

Setting 90-day goals also helps break down what can seem like an overwhelming journey into smaller, more manageable steps. I created some printable 90-day goal-setting worksheets to help you get started.

Additionally, achieving short-term goals builds momentum for the bigger-picture goal. Those small wins and milestones throughout the process help keep the focus sharp and motivation high.

#1.  Identify your 90-day goal

The first step in achieving your 90-day goal is figuring out the goal.

My goal for each quarter in 2023 is to make significant progress in writing four books. One of them will be non-fiction, and three will be fiction. I will focus on writing and editing a book per quarter.  I will make separate plans for launching each book.

So, once you have determined your goal, it’s time to break it down into actionable steps achievable within the next three months.

#2.  What practical actions will you take?

I believe goal-setting is vital to my success, which is why I finally settled on the 90-day goal-planning process for myself. To stay on track, I set aside time for planning each week and include action steps that help me reach my goal.

My plan covers milestones as well as small tactics required to hit the goal within the given timeframe. As life doesn’t always go as planned, I build in flexibility for days when obstacles or challenges arise.

By taking such practical actions, I have been able to maintain focus on my goals and stay on track.

#3.  Create smaller goals

Breaking a large 90-day goal into smaller goals can help make the challenge seem much more achievable.

Rather than becoming overwhelmed when writing a book, I prefer to create small goals across 90 days. This allows me to focus on one step at a time and gradually move closer to achieving my overall goal.

#4.  Make a daily schedule

Making and following a daily schedule is the key to achieving my smaller goals. Planning my day is a powerful tool that helps me get more done in less time so that I have the energy to spare for other things.

I use the 2023 Season by Season™ Daily Planner to create my daily schedule.  But you can use a digital or printable planner to organize your daily schedule.

And don’t forget to leave some space for relaxation. It’s important for both productivity and mental health to include leisure activities in your day too. Achieving your 90-day goal is within reach with mindful planning.

#5.  Prioritize your tasks

Once I identify the steps necessary for achieving my goal, I prioritize them based on importance and urgency.

This helps ensure that all of the most important tasks are completed first while also ensuring that nothing falls through the cracks due to procrastination or poor time management.

Prioritizing also helps to keep me motivated as I check off each task along the way.

#6.  Batch and simplify tasks

As much as possible, I like to batch and simplify the tasks associated with my smaller goals. Task batching is an effective strategy to group tasks according to the project so tasks of a similar nature can be completed in one go.

This helps reduce context switching and allows more time to focus on tasks with a higher impact. S

So, I look at my daily tasks to see what I can do to batch and simplify them.

#7.  Track your progress

Tracking your progress on your goals is vital for success.

I have a regular schedule that I can revisit to check in with myself to get insight into how I’m doing.  If I’m behind, it’s a sign that it might be time to shift my approach or push myself more.

As you apply this approach to your 90-day goal, treat yourself if you are ahead of the game. The occasional break gives you time to relax and celebrate the work you have accomplished so far.

#8.  Give up your fear of failing

Meeting your 90-day goal is no easy task. You may face numerous challenges that make it difficult to achieve what you set out to accomplish. This can seem discouraging; however, it is important for you to view failure as a pivotal learning experience in order to successfully complete your 90-day goal.

With every setback you experience, take the opportunity to reflect and develop new strategies and skills that will drive you forward on your path to success.

By understanding why the failure occurred, you can devise actions that will ensure similar obstacles are avoided in the future, ultimately leading you closer to meeting your 90-day goal.

Final thoughts

Achieving goals doesn’t have to be as difficult. By developing a 90-day goal-setting strategy, you can finally start making progress on the things that matter most to you.

While I only list eight tips that will help you set and achieve your own 90-day goals, I realize there may be other tips I missed.  Please feel free to share.

What’s one thing you want to achieve in the next 90 days?

Check out this quick video guide by The Art Of Improvement, which will help you understand effective goal setting.