Annual Onboarding¶

How to Start a New Planning Year

Purpose¶

This document defines the annual reset and onboarding ritual.

It ensures:

Continuity from past years
Intentional goal selection
Clean separation between old and new
No loss of learning or context

flowchart LR
    subgraph process ["ANNUAL ONBOARDING STEPS"]
        S1["1. Close<br/>previous year"]
        S2["2. Revisit<br/>direction"]
        S3["3. Define<br/>year theme"]
        S4["4. Draft<br/>goals"]
        S5["5. Approve<br/>goals"]
        S6["6. Design<br/>outcomes"]
        S7["7. Begin<br/>execution"]
        S8["8. Establish<br/>reviews"]
        S9["9. Protect<br/>the system"]
    end

    S1 --> S2 --> S3 --> S4 --> S5 --> S6 --> S7 --> S8 --> S9

    style S1 fill:#ef5350,stroke:#c62828,color:#fff
    style S2 fill:#7c4dff,stroke:#5e35b1,color:#fff
    style S3 fill:#ffc107,stroke:#ffb300,color:#000
    style S4 fill:#536dfe,stroke:#3d5afe,color:#fff
    style S5 fill:#448aff,stroke:#2979ff,color:#fff
    style S6 fill:#00bcd4,stroke:#00acc1,color:#fff
    style S7 fill:#26c6da,stroke:#00bcd4,color:#fff
    style S8 fill:#66bb6a,stroke:#43a047,color:#fff
    style S9 fill:#ab47bc,stroke:#8e24aa,color:#fff
    style process fill:#fafafa,stroke:#bdbdbd

Step 1 — Close the Previous Year¶

Before starting a new year:

Review the Master Goal Space
Mark goals as: Completed, Paused, or Retired
Write a short annual review:
- What worked?
- What didn't?
- What surprised you?
- What changed about you?

Do not rush this.

Step 2 — Revisit Direction¶

Re-read the Direction Layer.

Answer again:

Where am I now?
Where am I going?
What kind of year is this?
What season am I entering?

Direction first. Always.

Step 3 — Define the Year Theme¶

Choose one primary theme.

Examples: Stability, Expansion, Recovery, Exploration, Consolidation.

This theme constrains goal selection.

Step 4 — Draft Goals in Project Spaces¶

For each pillar (optional): Finance, Career, Health, Relationships.

Draft GSA goals outside the Master Space. Shape them slowly.

Step 5 — Approve Goals into the Master Space¶

Only when a goal is:

Aligned with direction
Worth the cost
Feasible for the year

Add it to the Master Goal Space.

Most years should have few goals.

Step 6 — Design Outcomes¶

For each approved goal:

Create 2–5 outcomes
Assign soft deadlines
Define KPIs

Do not create work units yet.

Step 7 — Begin Execution Gradually¶

Only after:

Outcomes exist
Deadlines are reasonable

Begin adding work units inside a two-week window.

No rush.

Step 8 — Establish Review Cadence¶

Confirm:

Weekly review time
Monthly review time
Quarterly review time

Put reviews on the calendar.

Step 9 — Protect the System¶

During the year:

Do not add goals impulsively
Use project spaces for experiments
Promote only what proves itself

The Master Space remains calm.

Closing¶

A new year is not a clean slate. It is a continuation.

This process ensures:

Learning compounds
Direction stays visible
Effort stays intentional

Begin slowly. Clarity beats speed.