5 Essential Steps of the SPARK Model for Yearly Planning

TLDR; The SPARK model helps plan the year by celebrating wins, setting priorities, dreaming big, creating a flexible roadmap, and maintaining momentum.

⚡️ Personal Retreat and Annual Review

Taking a personal retreat to evaluate the past year and plan for the coming year helps achieve goals and avoid feeling like time was wasted.

Having ADHD means needing a flexible system with self-compassion and curiosity, focusing on bigger picture goals and aspirations.

🔍 Spotlight: Celebrating Wins

Spotlight involves celebrating wins, learning from challenges, and focusing on personal growth achieved in the past year.

Creating a success inventory, reflecting on achievements, and using visual cues to remember successes are essential.

📊 Prioritize: Finding Key Focus Areas

Prioritize is about identifying and prioritizing key focus areas in life using a life category assessment.

Reflecting on ratings, identifying patterns, and setting goals based on priorities are crucial for the next year.

✨ Aspire: Dreaming Big

Aspire involves dreaming big, defining big picture goals, and using the 'start, stop, continue' framework to establish direction.

Defining goals aligned with passions and strengths helps in achieving big dreams and aspirations for the year.

🗺️ Roadmap: Practical Planning

Roadmap is about putting goals and aspirations into a practical plan, creating a flexible roadmap with monthly themes and goals.

Incorporating self-care, reflecting on the month, and adapting along the way are key aspects of the roadmap.

🚀 Keep Going: Maintaining Momentum

Maintaining momentum through habits, reflection, and building resilience is crucial for a successful year.

Building support networks, sustaining motivation, adding variety, and making the process positive are essential for continuous progress.

Frequently asked questions

Why is taking a personal retreat important for yearly planning?

Taking a personal retreat helps evaluate the past year and plan for the coming year, leading to goal achievement and avoiding a sense of wasted time.

How can someone with ADHD benefit from the SPARK model?

The SPARK model provides a flexible system with self-compassion and curiosity, focusing on bigger picture goals and aspirations, which is beneficial for individuals with ADHD.

What is the significance of celebrating wins in the SPARK model?

Celebrating wins, learning from challenges, and focusing on personal growth achieved in the past year are essential aspects of the SPARK model.

How can someone prioritize key focus areas in life?

Identifying and prioritizing key focus areas through reflection, identifying patterns, and setting goals based on priorities are crucial in the prioritization step of the SPARK model.

What does 'Aspire' involve in the context of yearly planning?

'Aspire' involves dreaming big, defining big picture goals, using frameworks to establish direction, and aligning goals with passions and strengths for achieving big dreams and aspirations.

What is important when creating a practical roadmap for yearly planning?

Creating a flexible roadmap with monthly themes and goals, incorporating self-care, reflecting on progress, and adapting along the way are essential elements of practical planning in the roadmap step of the SPARK model.

Why is maintaining momentum important for yearly success?

Maintaining momentum through habits, reflection, resilience building, sustaining motivation, adding variety, and maintaining positivity are essential for continuous progress throughout the year.