- Date: March 5, 2025
The Best 12-Week Year Planner
- 5 min read
- 0 comment
Explore the best 12-week year planner and how it can 5x your productivity
Hello! My name is Rachel Merrin, the owner and lead architect of LEED AP Principal Architect Sustainable Design Solutions New Jersey, USA.
I would like to share my story of how I used the 12 Week Year system to practically transform my practice from a chaotic borderline successful office, to one of the leading architectural practices in NJ. I could say that implementing this system also totally changed how I approach my life goals and achieving them. Let’s start!
Before hearing about the 12 Week Year System, I was running a small architectural firm in New Jersey that was successful by most conventional metrics but falling far short of its potential. Like many architects who transition into running their own practices, I had good design skills but short on business skills. My days were a chaotic blend of urgent client meetings, constant interruptions from staff seeking guidance, and desperate attempts to carve out time for actual design work – the reason I’d become an architect in the first place.
The firm, Sustainable Design Solutions, had grown organically over seven years from a solo practice to a team of six, but that growth had come at a significant personal cost. I was working 70-hour weeks, missing important family events, and still barely keeping up with our project load. The quality of our work remained high (barley), but the constant pressure was taking its toll on both me and my team.
My wake-up call came during a particularly challenging week when we lost a major contract to a competitor. The potential client’s feedback was illuminating: while they loved our design concepts, they had concerns about our ability to manage large-scale projects effectively, i.e. they did not trust our ability to manage the project. I was devastated. This feedback hit hard because it validated my own fears about how I run my business. Â
The 12 Week Year System came to my attention through a fellow architect at a sustainable design conference in Boston. What caught my attention wasn’t just the results he described, but the fundamental shift in thinking the system signified for him. Instead of the traditional annual planning cycle that we used but never really was that effective, this system proposed working in focused 12-week cycles that were long enough to achieve significant goals but short enough to create urgency and focus. I was in love!
The investment required was significant – not just financially, but in terms of time and emotional energy. I knew implementing any new system would initially add to our workload before it started paying dividends. However, the alternative – continuing on our current path – was no longer acceptable.
We turned to Dan Mintz from the 12 Week Breakthrough program to guide us through this important process.
The implementation began with what seemed like a simple change but proved to be revolutionary: strategic time blocking. Now, for the sake of my readers here, I want to stress something really important: know every person approaches this system differently. For some, the main focus is about setting and achieving ambitious goals. From my perspective, the most important elements of the system were how I mange my time and my office more productively and through this, achieve my goals that were already in place. Here how it went:
I started by dedicating two 3-hour blocks each week solely to business development and marketing. These weren’t casual planning sessions but deeply focused periods for activities that would directly impact our firm’s future:
The resistance to these blocks was immediate and intense – both internal and external. Clients wanted meetings during these times, staff needed decisions, and there was always an urgent deadline looming. What made the difference was treating these blocks with the same respect as client meetings. I literally marked them in my calendar as “External Meeting – Do Not Disturb” and found an offsite location to work, eliminating the possibility of quick “just five minute” interruptions that inevitably stretched longer.
Alongside strategic blocks, I implemented routine time blocks – two 1-hour periods each day dedicated to administrative tasks. These blocks transformed how our office handled daily operations:
Morning Block (9:00-10:00 AM):
Afternoon Block (4:00-5:00 PM):
The impact on team dynamics was unexpected and positive. By having clear windows when I was available for administrative decisions, the team learned to batch their questions and come prepared with potential solutions rather than just problems. This not only made our interactions more efficient but also encouraged them to develop their own problem-solving skills.
One of the system’s most valuable lessons was the importance of measuring both leading and lagging indicators. Previously, we had focused almost exclusively on lagging indicators like revenue and project completion rates. The system taught us to identify and track leading indicators that could predict future success:
Leading Indicators We Tracked:
Lagging Indicators We Monitored:
The first year was focused on establishing fundamental systems and processes. Key achievements included:
First Quarter:
Second Quarter:
Third Quarter:
Fourth Quarter:
The middle period focused on scaling our successful systems and building our market position:
Key Developments:
The final phase of our transformation focused on establishing ourselves as industry leaders:
Major Achievements:
Perhaps the most significant transformation was in our team culture. We moved from a reactive, deadline-driven environment to a proactive, innovation-focused culture. Key elements included:
Professional Development:
Work-Life Integration:
The structured approach of the 12 Week Year System paradoxically led to more innovation, not less. By creating clear boundaries and processes for routine work, we freed up mental space for creative thinking. We implemented several innovative practices:
Design Innovation:
Business Innovation:
As we move into our next phase of growth, our focus is on:
For professionals considering implementing the 12 Week Year System, consider these key points:
The 12 Week Year System transformed not just our business metrics but our entire approach to architectural practice. It helped us move from being project-focused to purpose-driven, from reactive to strategic, and from successful to truly impactful.
Rachel M., LEED AP Principal Architect Sustainable Design Solutions New Jersey, USA
Contact
12-Week Breakthrough
1815 JFK Blvd.
Philadelphia, PA
dan.mintz@12week-breakthrough.com