#The 12 Week Year

[cygnetbrown]

12-Week Year Progress Report: Business Marketing and Standard Operating Procedures

I can feel the crunch in week 9 of the 12-week year as the “year” is now closer to ending than beginning. One of the things that I love about this 12-week year is that it fits well into each quarter. Sunday was a typical Sunday for me. I did what I normally do on Sunday. However, I decided that since Monday was a holiday (Memorial Day here in the US).  I would have a different focus on the day.…

[princessproductivity]

What is the 12-week year?

While there is an entire book on the concept (The 12 Week Year by Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington) of the 12 week year, I think it is so valuable that I might as well give it a quick run down...

The 12 week year works, because it keeps the pressure on. So often, we will make New Year resolutions, and never stick to them. We figure we have the whole year ahead of us, so why start now? Be honest, we are in April now... Did you really get the washboard abs you thought you would? How many times did you set foot in the gym? It's still 2024, it doesn't technically mean you failed... right?

In this book, Moran points out a study that found that people tend to be the most productive when the year is drawing to a close because they weren't productive toward their goal for the rest of the year, and feel pressured to play catch up as a result. The 12 year week utilizes the mindset surrounding this dynamic to the individual's advantage.

The 12 week year is a concept that encourages one to create goals not with an entire year in mind, but by splitting their year into quarters. Instead of focusing on what you want to accomplish by the end of 2024, instead focus on what you want to accomplish before the end of March. Then, by the end of June, September, December, and so forth.

The key to this entire dynamic is being incredibly detailed and intentional with your goals. Instead of saying "I want to walk more" say, "I will walk every morning after breakfast at Cedar Park for 15 minutes." Instead of saying "I want to read more books" say, "I will finish one audiobook a week by listening to it while I take my walk, cook dinner, and work on my crochet project." Then, prepare a list of books you have in mind.

Many people feel limited in their ability to be truly productive, but at the end of the day, it isn't who or what you know... It's how you implement those two things into your tangible decisions from day to day. Knowledge without acting upon said knowledge is hardly knowledge at all. My measly summary could never do this amazing book justice, and I highly recommend a full read through to anyone looking to restructure how they approach their goals in a truly beneficial way.

Can't afford to buy the book? That's fine! I am a firm believer that knowledge should be freely accessible to anyone who wants to better their lives regardless of their circumstances! You can read the PDF copy for free here, or listen to the audiobook version on YouTube for free here.

A bit about @princessproductivity! 7 ways to organize your life... 7 ways to reduce your screen time...

[ricky-mortis]

“You’re a caveman. And I’ve invented fire.”

Close-ups under the cut :)

[starry-bi-sky]

Blood Blossom Au: Baby's First Commissioner Meeting :)

TL:DR This Post: Danny (orphan) gets poisoned with blood blossom extract by Vlad. He runs away from him and ends up under the care of one Pre-Robin Battinson Batman! Starry is loudly pushing her batdad agenda.

(Also known as "Late At Night, When The Nightingale Sings" on my ao3!)

This was a fun rough idea I've been sitting on for weeks, thinking about how Commissioner Gordon and Nightingale's first meeting might go.

---------------

Commissioner Gordon likes to think that he's adjusting to the new normal of Gotham very well, -- the new normal being grown men running around dressed like bats, in military-grade strength body armor, committing acts of vigilantism, -- and slowly, little by little, he was no longer being surprised when this new normal pops up out of the shadows like the world's most terrifying daisy. His shaving lifespan thanks him for it.

....

The kid is a surprise though.

Granted, he seemed to be a surprise to the Bat too.

There's been a string of murders lately, -- which, in Gotham, is kind of like saying there's been another storm during monsoon season. And there's just been another; in some dilapidated building down in south Gotham, with the broken, boarded-up windows and mildew-crawling walls to match. The victim is a man in his thirties, multiple gunshot wounds to the chest, left in the center of the room for the blood to pool out around him.

The place is already secured when he arrives, the building swarmed with officers and the forensic detectives. The Bat emerges shortly after he does -- or, he might've been here the whole time, hiding someplace dark and shadowy. For his own sanity, Gordon doesn't think about it too hard.

The kid is a surprise, and he appears like a bolt of lightning.

He shows up in the middle of a conversation Gordon is having with the Bat.

A whistle, sharp and loud, slicing through the air, meant for open air rather than a confined space. Gordon's ears pierce and protest the sound, and the solemn, murmured chatter floating through the room abruptly cuts off like the swing of a gavel. As he turns towards the sound -- as they all do -- he swears, up and down, that he sees Batman's shoulders jump, just slightly.

At the source, perched on the window, is a boy. A boy in a gray-blue scarf and an oversized black hoodie, one that hangs off his frame and has ace bandages wrapped around the wrists in some attempt to cinch the sleeves. The hood is up, big like the rest of it, and threatens to swallow the upper half of the boy's face whole in the fabric. What upper half Gordon can see, is smeared with some kind of opaque, black face paint. He's holding onto the side of the frame with one hand, on his hip is a grappling hook. A familiar grappling hook.

Gordon has multiple questions, and his officers tense up.

Martinez puffs up, brows furrowing as his face shapes into a frown. Shoulders rolling back. "You can't be here, kid--"

The reaction is immediate, like a spark to gunpowder, the boy yanks his fingers from his mouth and his mouth twists into a scowl. Head snapping over to Officer Martinez, his hood manages to stay on but Gordon swears that as he bares his teeth, the glint makes them look sharper than they should be. His voice is rasp and quiet and harsh; snappish in its hissing; "Put a fuckin sock in it, Martinez. I'm not stayin."

Martinez reels back, and the boy immediately veers his attention off him. Like a switch, his demeanor drops. Despite half his face being covered, his mouth twists into a cringing, apologetic smile. Slanted and off-beat, embarrassed. It'd be disarming if this wasn't Gotham, and if he didn't just hiss at Martinez like he was about to bite his head off.

"Sorry." He whispers, voice deceptively polite and softer now. Gordon has to strain his ears to hear him. "I was looking for him."

He points his finger towards-- Gordon? No, Gordon follows the direction, and finds himself looking at -- the Bat.

The Bat, who always looks stiff as a pole, now looks even stiffer. Somehow. Well, the explains the grappling hook attached to the boy's waist.

"What are you doing here?" The Bat says, gruff and unable to completely smother the stumble of surprise in his tone.

The boy still holds a sheepish smile, and slips off the window ledge. His feet hit the creaky boards with a near-silent thud, the Batman finds his feet and rapidly begins crossing the room.

Gordon notes the slight tremble in the boy's legs as he straightens. He adjusts his scarf, which droops close to his knees now that he's standing, and slings a backpack -- how long has had that? -- off his shoulders. When the Bat reaches his side, he does as he always does, and looms over the boy like a spectre. A threatening mass of shadows cloaked in all-consuming black. Standing next to him, the boy looks teeny in comparison.

The Bat is a man who terrifies even the most hardened criminals, Gordon has seen grown men shiver in fear at the mention of his name. And yet when the boy looks up at him, he doesn't even flinch.

Instead, his sheepish smile melts away like ice under the sun, holding only traces of his previous embarrassment. It remains as a shadow on his face, a small upturn at the corners of his mouth. The boy pushes his hood back just enough to reveal glinting, ice-flint eyes surrounded in tar-black face paint. He holds the backpack up with one arm. "You forgot this."

[bookshelfdreams]

@mikimeiko is doing a photography project where you take the same picture every month (introduction/explanation here) and I promised I'd join in. And wouldn't you know, I discovered that one of the old pollard willows down by the creek is freshly trimmed! That should make for an interesting subject.

09.01.24, 16:41

[alicornze7]

Ribbun week - Day 5: Angst

Angst…? Good ending

This is a continuation of the day 2 prompt

It’s somehow more angsty than a drawing from the day literally called “angst”

[chiropteracupola]

He started back as quickly / And staunchly swung aside / With all the woe in the world / He turned to the wood to hide...

[a gawain for @mortiscausa's 'march to camelot,' for the prompt 'hunt']

[steelycunt]

i think what would be really important to me if i were to write a band au for anything ever is they cant be good or very successful. their gigs have got to be shitty theyre playing in welfares and half-packed student unions and community centres and villlage halls they manage to book one tour in a horrible van and its shit and the weathers shit and some people really do like them and they might get a few breaks here and there but they are not going to be rockstars it just cant be in the cards for them. chekhovs band for me if i introduce a band at the start of the thing they have to have failed and had sex with each other by the end of it

[theythemmer]

Parted from me and never parted. Never and always touching and touched.

[cygnetbrown]

My 12-Week Year-Week 2

One Step Back but Three Steps Forward in Book Marketing On Sunday, I was supposed to go to an event that was supposed to be going on for the entire weekend. However, when I got there, no one had been there. In addition, it was very windy and it was raining. I decided to return home. I could have beat myself for having made this decision. It’s easy for “what ifs” to plague me. I let it go and…

[waveoftheocean]

didn't make one of these last year so here's my summary of art for 2023 and 2024! happy new year and here's to an amazing 2025!! 🎉🎉

[mewpet]

Trying to remember how to draw him T-T

[loopyarts]

My final fashionably late festive sketchy coloured piece with young Sanji and his siblings all together along with Nyasha as well.

I hope everyone is having a lovely 2025 so far. :3c

[hemaris]

happy new year and MAY i just say. i should have been at the club

[s0undsinmyhead]

If I see one more “they’re platonic soulmates 🥹🥰” comment on a tagged Caryl post I’m gonna go Carol on these mfs.

If you don’t ship it move on. Creeps. Only thing worse is when they follow up with “she’s like his mother. They have a mother-son relationship.” Wtf show are you watching?! They’re the same age??? Carol has adopted many children. None of them were a middle aged man named Daryl who she flirts with a dreams about being married too.

[silvermeww]

okay, when was someone going to tell me that

oh, idk, steven started at 19, burgh has a younger sister, clay actually isn't born american, skyla's whole fam thing and ELESA IS 15???? (even younger than skyla like wtf???)

(also the 'alder' at the bottom is supposed to be drayden lol)

and that's not all

say hello to:

viola being 18??? 'black whirlwind' korrina, RAMOS MEETING AZ'S FLOETTE AS A KID, genderfluid and apparently also age-fluid olympia, CLEMONT?? AND HIS WHOLE THING DOWN TO BEING 12 OF ALL AGES???

(you know what, marlon being 30 definitely makes sense with the hippie vibes)

wikstrom SAYING that he only wears that suit in pokemon battles but i've never seen his casual wear, malva being pr for flare lol, drasna selling dragon merch + great family lore if you want to know, siebold having to third-wheel lysandre and sycamore while eating (move aside malva, you're not the only elite 4 dealing with this) and 20?? YEARS OLD?? DIANTHA????????????

(way too many men in kalos are getting ladies, c'mon)

ethan being into history is such a neat detail hmmm, idk much of the frontier brains ngl, and we've finally got the region for looker and it's... hoenn??? you know what, makes sense with his chaotic vibes so i'll take it (throws away unova taped to a rock behind my back). also he's abolsutely cheating we all see that he's just relying on knowing us as protags, should've known smh

(um i think someone said that 'caitlin' should've been anabel but idk)

oh and the last one is charon, if we care about how much of a loser he really is. forget about birch and the poochyena, this guy is the lowest heh. imagine being charon (please don't).

(when the protags of johto are the same age as clemont lol) (yeah i know there are years between those events just let me have this)

and last but not least:

aaron 🤝 valerie: wanting to be pokemon (and ig gotta toss in shauntal with the ao3 writer gift heh, don't know if they would commission her or stay away), bertha's description???? i love flint just saying, cynthia 👀👀 is absolutely doing something illegal 👀👀, roark is WHAT??? (child labour laws in sinnoh must be lax ngl), maylene as well???? fantina watching scary movies is something i'll have to incorporate into my worldview and bryon?? are you okay??

so yeah. credit goes to @/KuroBlitz96 on the twitter/x for having this up, i'm just here to project sheer surprise at this massive dump of ages... my thoughts on pokemon have completely turned on its head once more lol (this is fine)