[3-1-3] Don’t take this year’s problems into next year

Hey 🙂

We’re coming to the end of a quarter, and I think this is a timely reminder for all of us, me included, to lift our heads up. Not just to look at the week, but at the next 12 weeks.

It’s easy to glance at the calendar and think, “Right, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s… we’ll get there.” And we will. The question is what we’ll have to show for it when we do.

The next 12 weeks are made of today

Here’s the simple truth: the next 12 weeks are going to be made up of the things you do every day. And the things you do every day are made up of every hour you have.

So now’s the time to focus. What are the most important things you want to get done between now and the end of December? What’s genuinely critical?

As I get my own head around the next 12 weeks, I’m asking myself: what are the biggest challenges in the business that deserve my attention right now? And if I focus on those, does that set us up for a stronger 2027?

I don’t want the same problems next year

This is the thing I keep coming back to. I don’t want to walk into next year still trying to answer the same questions and still trying to solve the same problems.

Are we getting better? Smarter? Are we actually solving things and moving? Or are we going round in circles? I’d much rather head into 2027 with different problems. Better problems. Bigger, more interesting challenges. That’s what progress looks like.

Start with the problems, then set the goals

So here’s how I’m thinking about it.

Start with the challenges: the problems you want to fix. Then attach goals to those challenges. What’s going to drive the right behaviour every day, every week, every month towards fixing those problems?

Then ask: what does success look like by the end of the year, through the lens of those problems?

A real example from our world: we’re launching a new group coaching programme. The challenges are obvious. We need to get customers, and we need to keep them. We’ve got goals tied to both of those. But the work I’ll actually be doing over the next 12 weeks isn’t staring at those goals. It’s the inputs. The activities tied to those goals, which in turn fix the problems, which in turn get us the customers and keep them.

Problems → goals → inputs → daily work. That’s the chain.

Keep it simple and stay accountable

Once you’ve got your challenges, your goals, and a plan for the next 12 weeks, the job is to commit to doing the work. And the way you make that stick is by keeping it simple, keeping it straightforward, and building in accountability.

No 40-page strategy deck required. Just clarity on what matters and a way to check in with yourself every week.

Which is exactly where this comes in.

Your 3-1-3 for this week

This week is slightly different. I still want you to zoom in on the week you’ve just had, but I want you to carry that bigger 12-week thinking with you as you plan the next one.

Take 10 minutes. Here’s how it works.

3: Three wins from this week

Look back across the week. What are the three things that look and feel like progress? What feels like a win or an achievement?

Let’s finish the week recognising the ground we’ve gained, not staring at everything we didn’t get to.

1: One thing for next week

Now shift from looking back to looking forward. This is where you bring the first half of this post with you.

What’s the one thing that, if you tackled it next week, would make everything else easier or unnecessary?

Check it against the bigger picture. Is it tethered to fixing a real problem in the business? Is it tied to your goals and your vision? Is it a critical activity? Figure out what it is, and make it your focus: something you’ll spend 20% of your time on next week.

3: Three tasks to move the needle

Last prompt. What are the three most important tasks, jobs, or actions you need to take to move the needle on that one thing?

Then get into your calendar and block the time. Now. Make it the priority for next week. Everyone else can work around your priority.

Why this works

If you spend 20% of your week on tasks that serve your one thing, everything starts working together. Your tasks are tethered to your one thing. Your one thing is tethered to your challenges, your goals, and your vision. And you’re spending your time on work that genuinely matters to the business.

That’s how 12 good weeks get built: one well-planned week at a time.

As always, I’d love to read your 3-1-3. Send it to me at chris@chrismarr.co.uk, or drop it in the comments below. I want to see what you’re working on, what your week looked like, and what you’ve got planned for next week.

Here’s to finishing the year strong.

🗣️ 👀

Chris.