> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.sonto.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Plan your Year and Quarter

> A guided walkthrough of long-term planning in Sonto

Long-term planning is how you keep an eye on what matters beyond today. This walkthrough takes you
through planning a **quarter** from start to finish — the year works the same way. Watch below, or read
the written steps that follow.

<Frame caption="Planning a quarter in Sonto">
  <iframe className="w-full aspect-video rounded-xl" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SkFs-9-nDys" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowFullScreen style={{ width: '100%', borderRadius: '0.5rem' }} />
</Frame>

<Info>
  It's worth planning your **year** before your quarter, so the quarter is anchored in bigger goals. But
  if a year feels like a lot, start with a quarter — that's far better than nothing.
</Info>

<Warning>
  The guided planning flow is currently a **Mac** feature. You can create plans on iPhone, but without
  the step-by-step flow.
</Warning>

## Start a plan

Open the **New Plan** dialog (hover the **+** at the bottom of the sidebar, or `File → Planning`). Sonto
proposes the next quarter and finds your previous one automatically. Click **Start Planning**.

<Frame caption="Create a new plan from the sidebar">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/space-cf2a2060/eONxeRtoB3d0Rj3a/images/planning/plans-new.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=eONxeRtoB3d0Rj3a&q=85&s=8f957cf4c1a5b7c400f14c34f0af3910" alt="Creating a new plan from the sidebar" width="786" height="242" data-path="images/planning/plans-new.png" />
</Frame>

<Steps>
  <Step title="Review the last quarter" id="review">
    Sonto shows what you set out to do last quarter and what you actually finished. Tick off anything
    still genuinely done, and leave the rest open. Then take a minute to **reflect** — a line or two on
    how it went makes the next plan better. When you're ready, click the **progress pie** to close the
    old plan: you're acknowledging that the unfinished parts are in the past, and moving on.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set your intention" id="intention">
    Say what this quarter is about, in your own words — what truly motivates you, what would make it a
    success. Keep it active and honest ("launch Sonto, find my next role, and stay flexible while life
    changes"). The intention sets the tone for everything below it.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Organise into groups">
    Capture the relevant parts of your life as **groups**. Prefill them from your previous plan, start
    from a template, or create your own — whatever fits. Then give each group an **intensity score**: how
    much energy and time it deserves this quarter. A low score says "not much focus here"; a high score
    says "this is where I push". Some people even add a *not doing* group, to make a choice explicit.

    <Frame caption="A group with an intensity score">
      <img src="https://mintcdn.com/space-cf2a2060/eONxeRtoB3d0Rj3a/images/planning/planning-priority.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=eONxeRtoB3d0Rj3a&q=85&s=c17f149c57e23c2bf41a7305578c17f3" alt="A planning group named Work with an intensity score of 5" width="604" height="62" data-path="images/planning/planning-priority.png" />
    </Frame>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Turn intention into action" id="plan">
    Now add the actions you intend to take to each group. Less is more — aim for the highest-value
    items, often the ones you're slightly scared of. You can pull up your previous quarter or your
    yearly plan for reference, and drag items across. Flag the most important ones so they stand out.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Finalize" id="finalize">
    Take one last look at the whole picture: your intention, your groups and their intensity scores, and
    the work under each. Does it hang together? Is this really what matters most to you right now? If so,
    click **Done** — your plan is now active, and it's time to get busy.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Where to next

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Weekly and Daily planning" icon="calendar-day" href="/guides/start-with-weekly-daily-planning">
    Turn this quarter's plan into action, week by week.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Planning reference" icon="calendar" href="/reference/planning/quarter-year">
    Plan states, linking, and the Plans area in detail.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>
