How to Accomplish More in 12 Weeks Than in 12 Months

Hey there,

Let me paint a familiar picture:

January: Fresh start. New goals. This is YOUR year.

Spring: Still motivated. Getting things done.

Summer: Wait... am I actually making progress? So many things still undone.

September: Overwhelmed. Back-to-school chaos.

Q4: Might as well give up. We'll try again next year.

Sound familiar?

Here's what most people don't realize: The problem isn't you. The problem is the 12-month timeline.

After working with thousands of people on productivity and performance since 2008, I've discovered something counterintuitive:

You can accomplish more in 12 weeks (90 days) than in an entire year—without burning out, without becoming a machine, without exhausting yourself.

Today, I'm sharing the exact method I've used for years to write books, launch projects, and create new concepts in a quarter—things that take others a full year.

Let's dive in.

There's a productivity law that changes everything once you understand it:

Parkinson's Law: Work expands to fill the time available.

Give yourself a month to write a book? You'll take a month. Give yourself 3 months? You'll take 3 months. Give yourself a year? You'll take a year.

But here's the trap:

When you have 12 months, you procrastinate until the deadline creates pressure. You spend the whole year "working on it" but only really execute in the final weeks.

Result: A full year of scattered effort, constant stress, and minimal progress.

When you're constantly in emergency mode—always under pressure, just responding to short-term issues—you never build anything long-term.

You spend all your time chasing time instead of using it wisely.

You end up exhausted, burned out, feeling like you're working hard but getting nowhere.

This isn't just about doing too much. It's about doing a lot without meaning or progress.

That empty exhaustion of "I'm putting in effort, but for what?"

I've structured my entire business around 90-day cycles (12 weeks, one quarter). Here's why:

It's short enough to:

But long enough to:

A month is too short. A year is too long. 90 days is the sweet spot.

I use this for everything:

Track progress over 90 days, and everything changes.

Ready to accomplish more in one quarter than most people do all year? Here's the exact framework:

Most people think productivity is about finding shortcuts or secret hacks.

Reality: It's about simplicity.

Often you need to remove things, not add them.

Ask yourself:

If your only goal is dealing with emergencies—paying bills, surviving short-term—you won't build anything.

You're always reacting instead of creating.

And that's exhausting. That's what leads to burnout.

Get your head out of the weeds. Focus on what matters.

If you want to achieve things quickly, you need good strategy.

I always look for the simplest, fastest way to accomplish what I want.

This means:

✓ Drawing on others' experience - Don't reinvent the wheel ✓ Training and developing skills - Fill your knowledge gaps ✓ Thinking differently - What's the most effective path to the goal? ✓ Surrounding yourself with the right people - Don't do everything alone

We waste time when:

Work smart, not just hard.

Once you have your 90-day goal, you need to know: What will actually trigger that goal?

Plan the steps. Know the process. Then commit to consistency.

Most goals aren't achieved through big efforts. They're achieved through regularity.

Examples:

Running a marathon every 3 months won't make you healthy. Daily movement will.

Health is built day by day. It's the cumulative effect. It's about consistency.

Don't fight against yourself.

I don't like to go against the grain.

When something requires too much effort, when the environment isn't right, it's just not the right time.

We do what needs to be done, but we let go.

Pay attention to your energy cycles:

I don't force myself to work during my low-energy periods. I take a real break and come back fully recharged.

Paradox: One hour of focused work beats six hours of forcing yourself when you're drained.

Why 12 weeks works better than 12 months:

When things are condensed but balanced, you get results much faster.

Understand your cycles:

Adapt your projects accordingly.

When you do a 12-week sprint, you stay agile.

I never expect everything to go as planned.

I know there will be:

And I'm ready for them.

If the plan isn't working after a while, I don't stubbornly stick to it. We pivot. We adapt.

But be careful: Don't fall into the opposite trap of constantly changing things, trying something once, and giving up.

You have to see things through with a clear-headed, intelligent, balanced approach.

This is where execution happens.

You need the ability to:

Organization happens daily.

You have your plan, your cycles, your levers—but it's the daily execution that matters.

It's about rhythm. It's about consistency.

While others make sporadic big efforts, disorganized and scattered, you just keep going. Keep moving forward.

Like a marathon runner who maintains pace.

That's where it makes a difference.

Here's the big paradox:

I'm telling you how to accomplish more (which implies going faster).

But it's not about speed. It's about rhythm.

Someone who is:

...will always go faster AND farther than someone who is:

Human beings are naturally good at endurance.

We're excellent walkers and runners. That's our nature.

The idea is to be really clear on your priorities so that instead of spreading yourself thin, you go straight to what's essential.

Establish a regular routine that's agile but rigorous enough to keep moving forward day after day.

If you implement this framework, you'll accomplish much more.

And you'll say: "Yeah, but it's actually simple."

That's exactly the point.

But simple doesn't mean easy.

It's actually harder to keep things simple.

It's harder to:

We always want immediate results. We're always looking for that one ultimate thing.

But real wealth—real achievement—comes from consistency, time, and patience.

That's when you see incredible results.

And you don't have to:

You just need to be clear, move forward, use your flow.

That's when you really achieve a lot.

Ready to accomplish more in the next 90 days than most people do in a year?

✓ List everything you're currently working on ✓ Ask: What should I STOP doing? ✓ Identify your 1-3 true priorities for 90 days ✓ Get clear on what's essential vs. what's noise

✓ For each priority, identify the fastest path ✓ What experience can you draw on? (mentors, training, examples) ✓ What resources do you need? (time, money, people, skills) ✓ What's the simplest approach?

✓ Break each goal into steps ✓ Identify what needs to be done consistently (daily/weekly) ✓ Set up tracking systems ✓ Build in recovery and adaptation time

✓ Focus on daily consistency, not intensity ✓ Track progress weekly ✓ Adapt when needed (but don't abandon) ✓ Ride your energy cycles ✓ Celebrate small wins

Instead of: "I want to grow my business this year"

Do this: "In the next 90 days, I will acquire 15 new clients by creating one piece of content weekly, reaching out to 5 potential clients weekly, and optimizing my conversion process."

Instead of: "I want to get healthy this year"

Do this: "In the next 90 days, I will work out 4x/week, meal prep every Sunday, and walk 10,000 steps daily."

Instead of: "I want to write a book this year"

Do this: "In the next 90 days, I will write 500 words daily, complete the first draft, and get feedback from 3 beta readers."

See the difference?

Specific. Timebound. Process-focused. Measurable.

When you shift to 90-day thinking:

You get 4 chances per year instead of 1

You maintain urgency without panic

You see results faster

You stay agile

Here's the truth:

Most people spread themselves thin across 12 months, working scattered and exhausted, never really knowing where they're going.

You?

You'll be clear. Focused. Consistent. Strategic.

You'll accomplish more in one quarter than they do all year.

This is how you surpass a lot of people.

Not by working harder. Not by hustling more. Not by doing 10,000 things at once.

By being clear, activating the right levers, and moving forward with rhythm.

The most important thing isn't to rush.

It's to start off on the right foot.

So here's what to do this week:

Day 1: List everything you're working on

Day 2: Identify what to STOP

Day 3: Choose 1-3 priorities for 90 days

Day 4: Plan the simplest path to each

Day 5: Set up your tracking system

Day 6-7: Begin execution

Hit reply and tell me: What's ONE goal you're committing to for the next 90 days?

I read every response and I'm genuinely curious what you're going to accomplish.

Talk soon,

Jo Yang

💌 Loved this ? Share & Subscribe to the newsletter…

Follow-me on Instagram & Threads

Check out my latest videos