Let's talk about Q2.

It is the start of a new quarter and if you are like most high performers right now, you are probably somewhere between setting your Q2 targets and quietly resisting them.

Not because you do not know what you want, but because you are starting this quarter in the same state that you ended the last one.

Tired. Stretched. Running on caffeine, losing willpower and hoping that the pace will slow down.

Here is the problem...

You cannot plan your best quarter from your worst state. 

April is International Stress Awareness Month. Most advice will tell you to take more breaks or download a meditation app but I want to focus on something more direct- the link between chronic stress and the quality of your thinking.

Because that is what influences every target that you set, every decision you make and every result that you produce this quarter.

When you are under sustained stress, your prefrontal cortex, responsible for strategic thinking, planning, creativity and judgement, becomes less effective, think of it like your logic going offline, so you plan faster, react quicker and think less strategically.

Most leaders set Q2 targets in the final week of Q1, which unfortunately is also one of the most pressured points in the professional year. Deadlines. Financial close. Performance reviews. Budget conversations and because of this pressure Q2 plans look like slightly more ambitious versions of Q1.

The same problems show up again and energy drops by week four.

This is not a motivation issue, it is a thinking quality issue.

And the only way to fix a thinking quality issue is to go underneath, not just at the start of a quarter, but consistently throughout the year.

We have to remember that all areas of our lives are interconnected and have an impact on each other, so before you write a single Q2 target, we need to work through this.

Step One: Review Q1 Honestly

Set a timer for 10 minutes. Write your answers without editing.

Where did I operate from clarity this quarter and what enabled that?

Where did I operate from pressure or reaction and what was driving it?

What did I avoid in Q1 that needs to be addressed in Q2?

What drained my energy most and is it necessary?

What am I most proud of from the last three months?

Take your time, high performers often move on too quickly and miss the opportunity to build confidence from evidence.

Step Two: Set Your Q2 Targets Differently

Most targets come from one of two places.

Fear of falling behind, which creates pressure and more of the same.

Or clear intent, which creates focus and momentum.

Before you write anything, ask yourself:

If I removed the fear of not achieving this, would I still want it?

What does a successful Q2 look like, not only in results, but in how I lead, how my team performs and how I feel?

What is the one outcome that would make everything else easier or less necessary?

Then write your targets. Limit this to three to five.

Step Three: Plan Beyond Work

Most planning stops at business targets. This is where performance breaks down.

Research on sustainable high performance shows that leaders who plan across multiple areas of life make better decisions, experience less burnout and sustain results for longer.

This is the principle behind the Life Book framework, created by Jon Butcher.

The idea is that your life has 12 dimensions: health, emotional life, relationships, career, finances, life vision and more. Most leaders only ever plan one of them. And when the other eleven are running on empty, everything you are trying to achieve professionally becomes harder.

The method asks you to get specific about each area, not set vague intentions. Build a clear picture of what you actually want, why it matters to you and one intention you will act on this quarter. 

Doing this properly takes about 45 minutes. 

The leaders I know who do it consistently make better decisions, feel less reactive and have a much clearer sense of whether what they are doing every day is actually taking them where they want to go.

I have put together a free Q2 planning guide covering all 12 categories with prompts and space to think it through properly.

You can get your copy here. Download

This Week's Reflection Question

Before you open your Q2 planning document, sit with this:

Am I planning this quarter from clarity or from pressure?

The answer will shape your next quarter!

Listen This Week

Questioning the Rules of Life through Lifebook - The Mindvalley Podcast with Jon and Missy Butcher.

This episode explains why most goals fail because they are not truly yours and how planning across all areas of life changes how you set and achieve them. 

Join Me Live Next Month

Impostor Syndrome: Why Do I Always Feel Like I Am Going To Get Caught Out?

Wednesday 29th April at 1pm GMT. Free to attend.

If you have ever questioned whether you're good enough, this session will show you what is driving that pattern and how to change it.

Register here: www.nicolahladky.com/live

Work With Me

Elevate: The Roundtable

Inside Elevate we spend 12 weeks doing exactly this kind of work. Understanding what is driving your thinking under pressure, leading from clarity rather than fear and building a life that actually supports the leader you want to be. In a room with people who are navigating the same things.

A 12-week group coaching programme for senior leaders and founders.

Psychology first. Strategy second. In a room with people who finally get it.

Starting May 2026. Limited places.

Early bird closes 30th April- Book before then and your kick-start 1:1 upgrades to a 90-minute deep dive worth £395.

As a newsletter reader you also have £100 off your paid in full investment with code ELEVATE100.

Find out more: www.nicolahladky.com/elevate