This video explains why traditional monthly planning is inefficient for building routines and managing time due to varying month lengths and start days. It introduces cyclic planning as a superior alternative, restructuring the year into four quarters. Each quarter consists of three four-week cycles and one dedicated "reset week" for reflection and preparation. This consistent structure helps combat time blindness, making it easier to set realistic goals and build stable routines by providing predictable time blocks. The presenter also covers how to implement cyclic planning, including identifying cyclic "leap years" and provides a free calculator and cyclic calendar templates to assist users in setting up their personalized system.
Hierarchical structure of the cyclic year, quarters, cycles, and reset weeks
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Monthly planning is presented as an ineffective method for building consistent routines.
Variable Month Lengths and Start Days:
Months have different numbers of days (28, 30, 31).
Months start on different days of the week, leading to inconsistent numbers of weekdays (e.g., Mondays, Thursdays, Sundays) from one month to the next.
This irregularity makes it difficult to establish habits tied to specific points in the month (start, middle, end) if those points fall on inconvenient days of the week.
Monthly calendar structure highlighting irregular day counts and start days
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Monthly calendar structure emphasizing the inconsistent distribution of specific days throughout the year
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Restructuring the Year with Cyclic Planning [0:55]
Cyclic planning is introduced as a more user-friendly and effective approach to organizing time.
Initial 13-Month Concept:
The idea originated from contemplating a year with 13 months, each having exactly 4 weeks (28 days).
This totals 52 weeks or 364 days, providing consistent 28-day blocks with the same number of each weekday.
Challenge with Traditional Calendar Alignment:
A strict 13-cycle system would cause cycles to start in the middle of calendar months, which could interfere with external monthly obligations.
Cyclic planning significantly improves time awareness and management.
Clearer Time Progression:
Unlike monthly planning where the perception of time can be distorted (e.g., 10th of the month feels like a third, 15th feels like halfway, then the month is suddenly over), cyclic planning offers clear, proportional progress.
Each week within a 4-week cycle consistently represents 25% of that cycle, making it easier to gauge progress on goals and projects.
Consistent Routine Points:
Cycles consistently start on the same day of the week (e.g., Monday).
Midpoints (end of week 2) and endpoints (end of week 4) of cycles consistently fall on the same day (e.g., Sunday).
This predictability allows for easier scheduling of intentional check-ins, reflections, and resets during feasible times, such as weekends.
Cyclic calendar structure highlighting consistent start days and predictable mid-cycle and end-of-cycle reflection points
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Traditional monthly planning creates unfair expectations for project output.
Inconsistent Planning Capacity:
Months vary in the number of available workdays (e.g., one month might have five Sundays, the next only four), leading to differing capacities for goal achievement.
This forces month-by-month recalculations of available time, making planning feel like "playing on hard mode."
Consistent Capacity with Cycles:
Cyclic planning provides consistent 4-week blocks, each with the same number of weekdays, allowing for more realistic and stable goal and project planning.
Setting up your cyclic calendar involves a few key decisions.
Structural Breakdown:
Divide the year into four 13-week quarters.
Each quarter comprises three 4-week cycles and one reset week.
The reset week is typically placed at the end of each quarter for reflection and preparation.
Personalized Start Day and Date:
Decide your preferred starting day of the week (e.g., Monday or Sunday).
Determine the starting date for your first cycle of the new year.
Defining "Week 1": It's recommended to choose the first week of the new year that contains at least 4 days from that year. For example, if you start on Monday, Week 1 of 2026 might be from Monday, December 29, 2025, to Sunday, January 4, 2026.
Utilizing the Cyclic Calculator:
A free cyclic planning calculator is available to automatically generate date ranges for all cycles and reset weeks based on your chosen starting day and date.
Screenshot of the cyclic planning calculator tool
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Addressing the discrepancy of 364 days in a cyclic year versus 365/366 days in a calendar year.
The "Extra Day" Solution:
Instead of randomly adding a day to a cycle and disrupting consistency, extra days accumulated over non-leap years are saved.
These saved days are used to create a "bonus week" in specific "cyclic leap years."
When Cyclic Leap Years Occur (for Monday-start calendars):
2026, 2032, 2037, 2043, 2049, 2054.
When Cyclic Leap Years Occur (for Sunday-start calendars):
2025, 2031, 2036.
Using the Bonus Week:
The bonus week is typically added at the end of the year, often serving as a "week zero" for the upcoming year, allowing for an extended preparation or trial run before the first cycle.
Example of a 2026 cyclic calendar with a Monday start, showing the bonus week at the year's end
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