Organizational wonks that develop massively complicated systems to track goals, priorities, and information seem to have something in common: they focus on the here and now (what has to be done today and tomorrow), the end of year goals (the annual review, fiscal year, etc.), and then, strangely, they shoot off to lifetime goals or “where do you want to be in 10 years” kinda stuff.

Ten years is too far out to plan anything. Far too many variables can shift the plans, to the point where the plans themselves are meaningless. (I’m not saying lifetime goal thinking is futile, but rather it can be under the heading of “planning”.)

I think 24 months is a great yardstick to use. A 24 month plan can be broken into almost perfect 4% segments. You can envision the graph easily in your head. You can buy or print a calendar with 24 pages, a month for each. You can start on something wonderful, today.

And the best part about 24 months is that you can change your world in that timeframe.

Proof? Eric Clapton met Ginger Baker in the Fall of 1966. They called up Jack Bruce and formed the power trio Cream.

The albums Fresh Cream, Wheels of Fire, Disraeli Gears, and Goodbye, plus world wide tours and fame all occurred in the next 24 months. Their final show together (until the 2005 reunion shows) was at Royal Albert Hall in London on November 26, 1968. Then they called it quits. 24 months of massive creative output, hard work, networking, handshaking, endless touring, and finally leaving at the top of their game.

24 months is a short, manageable, and powerful amount of time. It’s also long enough to change your world and your life, putting you in the directions that you dream of going in your career.

By July of 2018 what do you want to achieve? Go!