if you’ve ever hit november and felt your brain just... stop, you’re not broken.
i used to hate this so so much.
i’d set goals in january, map out the whole year, tell myself “this time i’ll stay consistent all 12 months,” and then by october or november i’d just unintentionally start to cool off.
not because i was lazy.
not because i didn’t care.
just because that’s what happens when you’ve been firing on all cylinders since january.
and for a long time, i thought that meant i was doing something wrong.
but then i learned something from one of my mentors, chris, that completely changed how i plan my years:
plan for 10 months. not 12.
the thing about 12-month plans..
when you plan for 12 months, you’re planning like nothing bad will happen.
like you won’t get sick. like you won’t burn out.
like you won’t have a week where you just can’t do anything. like life won’t throw you a curveball in june that derails everything for two weeks.
but life does throw curveballs. you do get tired. you do have weeks where you disappear.
and if you’ve budgeted every single week of the year, those “lost” weeks feel catastrophic.
suddenly you’re behind.
suddenly your whole plan is off.
suddenly you’re scrambling to catch up, which makes you more tired, which makes you fall further behind.
it’s a cycle. and it’s exhausting af.
but here’s the thing: if you plan for 10 months instead of 12, you build in wiggle room from the start.
you account for the fact that you’re not a robot. that you have seasons of energy. that some weeks you’ll be on fire and some weeks you’ll need to coast.
and when life happens, when you get sick, when you’re in a rut, when you just need a break - you don’t panic.
because you already planned for it.
how the 10-month plan actually works
it’s simple.
when i sit down to plan my year, i only plan for 10 months of execution.
that means from january to october, i’m mapping out projects, capacity, revenue targets, content, whatever i need to get done.
but november and december? those are off the table.
not because i’m taking two months off. not because i’m not working at all. but because i’m not planning for those months.
they’re my buffer. my slack. my decompression zone.
and here’s what that looks like in practice:
january–october: execution mode
this is where the work happens
projects, clients, content, building, shipping
i’m not going 100% every single day, but i’m in the rhythm
i know what i’m working on and i’m moving forward
november–december: dreaming mode
this is where i slow down on purpose
i’m not grinding. i’m not trying to hit new goals.
i’m reviewing the year (like we talked about in part 1)
i’m consuming way more: movies, books, games, hanging out more
i’m letting my brain wander and make new connections
i’m thinking about what i want next year to look like
the execution months are about doing. the dreaming months are about thinking.
and both are necessary.
why the dreaming phase matters
here’s what i’ve learned after doing this for 5 years:
if you don’t build in time to think, you just keep doing the same thing over and over.
you get stuck in the loop. you’re busy, but you’re not growing. you’re working, but you’re not evolving.
the dreaming phase is where you step back and ask: is this still what i want? is this still working? what do i want more of? what do i want less of?
it’s where you give yourself permission to be less productive.
less academic.
less “on.”
and that’s when the good ideas come.
not when you’re grinding. not when you’re forcing it. but when you’re watching a movie, or playing a video game, or just sitting with your cat and letting your brain rest.
I spent November into December finishing my first playthrough of Red Dead Redemption 2. I’ve been meaning to play it for so long and it did NOT disappoint. i want to rave about this with someone so reply if you’re like me lol. but i digress.
your brain needs inputs. it needs time to process. it needs space to connect dots you didn’t even know were there.
and if you’re going all gas all the time, you never give it that space.
so the dreaming phase isn’t a reward. it’s not something you earn after a good year.
it’s part of the system. it’s how you stay creative. it’s how you avoid burning out. it’s how you make sure next year isn’t just a copy-paste of this year.
what happens when you “lose” weeks mid-year
this is where the 10-month plan really saves you.
let’s say it’s june. you get sick for a week. or you’re just exhausted and can’t focus. or a family thing comes up and you need to step away.
if you planned for 12 months, that week feels like a disaster. you’re behind. you’re scrambling. you’re stressed.
but if you planned for 10 months, that week just eats into your buffer.
you’re not behind. you’re still on track. because you already accounted for the fact that life happens.
and honestly? most years, i don’t even use the full 2 months of buffer. sometimes i only need a few weeks. sometimes i get stuff done earlier than planned and i have even more slack.
but the point is: the slack is there.
it’s built into the plan. so when i need it, i don’t feel guilty. i don’t feel like i failed. i just use it.
and that changes everything.
how to try the 10-month plan yourself
if you want to try this for next year, here’s the simplest version:
step 1: map your 10 execution months
pick which 10 months you’re going to treat as “work months.”
for me, it’s january–october. but you could do february–november. or march–december. whatever makes sense for your rhythm.
just pick 10 consecutive months where you’ll be in execution mode.
step 2: plan only for those 10 months
when you’re setting goals, mapping projects, planning revenue, whatever - only use those 10 months.
don’t try to squeeze in “one more thing” in november or december. leave them blank.
step 3: protect your 2 dreaming months
decide what those 2 months are for.
for me, it’s:
year-end review (like we talked about in part 1)
consuming inputs (movies, books, games, rest)
thinking about next year (not planning, just dreaming)
spending time with family and friends
letting my brain wander
you don’t have to do nothing. you can still work. but you’re not planning to work. you’re giving yourself permission to slow down.
step 4: use the buffer when you need it
when life happens mid-year, when you get sick, when you’re tired, when you need a break - don’t panic.
just remind yourself: you planned for this. you have slack. you’re not behind.
and then use the buffer.
the one rule to follow
here’s the only rule: don’t fill the 2 months with work.
i know it’s tempting. i know you’ll think “well, i could use november to launch that thing” or “december would be perfect for that project.”
don’t.
the whole point of the 10-month plan is to give yourself space. if you fill the space, you lose the benefit.
so protect those 2 months. treat them like they’re sacred. because they are.
what it changes long-term
i’ve been doing this for 5 years now, and here’s what i’ve noticed:
i make better decisions because i have time to think
i don’t burn out because i’m not running on fumes by december
i start the year genuinely bursting with ideas and energy (like right now haha)
i’m more creative because my brain gets inputs and rest
i don’t panic when life happens because i already planned for it
i actually enjoy my work more because i’m not grinding all the time
and honestly? my business has grown more in the years i’ve done this than in the years i tried to hustle 12 months straight (yeah 2021, it’s you i’m talking to).
because rest isn’t the opposite of productivity.
it’s part of it.
your turn
so here’s my challenge: try the 10-month plan next year.
pick your 10 execution months. protect your 2 dreaming months. and see what happens.
and if you do it, hit reply and let me know which 2 months you’re choosing.
i’d love to hear how you’re building slack into your year.
— mike