Your Next 90 Days: A Practical Plan to Build a More Shatterproof Business
By Scott Reib | America's Legal Coach
"Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving it and staying with that plan." That's Tom Landry, and it opens the chapter on 90-day planning in The Shatterproof Entrepreneur.
Let me ask you a question. How many of the big goals you set in January are actually done?
If the honest answer is "not many," you're not alone. Most of us have big, hairy, audacious goals that we talk about at networking events and conferences, then carry into December still unfinished. We've been told to take baby steps. As I put it in the book, trying to consume an elephant one bite at a time can leave you fending off the hyenas.
The Shatterproof approach is different: Take Massive Action Now. I call it TMAN.
Where the 90-Day Blast Came From
In 2008, I was 39 and in my third year running a new law firm. I was coaching two soccer teams, working late into the night, and not taking care of myself. My boys still call it the "Fat Dad Days."
In February of that year, someone close to me suggested I consider losing weight. I was offended. Then I stepped on the scale and saw 240 pounds. I joined Weight Watchers, joined a gym, set a goal to weigh 195 pounds by June 1, and recruited my best friend, Aaron, to do it with me. We started on March 1. Weight training three times a week. At least 45 minutes of cardio five times a week.
By June 1, I weighed 194 pounds.
A few years later, Aaron and I were leading the adult Sunday School department at First Baptist of Denton, and we tried the "90 Day Bible," the whole Bible in 90 days of reading. Thirty adults signed up with us. Ten of us finished.
From those two experiences, I learned that setting and achieving goals in 90-day intervals works better than chasing long-term goals. That's how the 90-Day Blast was born.
Step One: Pick No More Than Four Priorities
Here's the rule I teach from Chapter 4: "In business, I've found that it's best to focus on no more than four priorities or significant projects in a year. Beyond that, time and attention become too diluted, leading to potential failure."
Four. Not twelve. If everything is a priority, nothing is.
My friend Tom Ziglar says it this way: "The fastest way to success is to replace bad habits with good habits." A 90-day sprint is long enough to build a new habit and short enough that you can still see the finish line.
The 90-Day Blast in Eight Steps
This is the process straight from the book:
Make a list of the major goals you want to achieve in your life or business.
Prioritize the list, selecting the top four as your 90-day projects.
Set a 90-day goal for each project. Larger projects can be broken into phases.
Create milestones and mini-goals to track your progress.
Outline the daily, weekly, and monthly activities needed to reach each milestone and the 90-day goal.
Schedule specific time slots in your calendar for each project.
During your focus time, work exclusively on the designated goal.
Regularly track your progress by documenting completed activities and milestones.
Notice that steps four through eight are where most plans die. Anybody can write goals. Milestones, a calendar, and tracking are what turn a goal into a finished project.
Milestones, Calendar, and Accountability
Milestones. Break the 90 days into three 30-day chunks. Each chunk gets one clear milestone you could prove to someone else.
Calendar. If it isn't on your calendar, it's a wish. Give each priority a recurring block, and protect that time the same way you would protect a client meeting.
Accountability. I didn't lose that weight alone. Aaron was in it with me. In the book, one seat on your Board of Key Advisors belongs to a Coach, because a good coach breaks comfort zones and provides accountability. Find your Aaron.
A Worked Example: Getting Your Company's House in Order
Let's apply this to one business-protection project. This example is hypothetical.
Dana owns a two-member Texas LLC she formed with a friend four years ago. She has a certificate of formation and a template company agreement nobody has read since the day it was signed. Since then, the company took out a bank loan, signed an office lease, and changed how profits get split. Dana isn't sure the annual state filings are current.
The 90-day goal: By mid-January, the company agreement is reviewed and current, past major decisions are documented, and annual filings are confirmed and on a calendar.
Days 1 to 30: Gather. Dana pulls everything into one folder: the certificate of formation, the company agreement and any amendments, ownership records, the IRS letter with the company's EIN, and confirmation of last year's franchise tax filing. She lists every major decision since formation, including the loan, the lease, and the profit change.
Days 31 to 60: Review. Dana meets with her attorney and her CPA. In The Shatterproof Entrepreneur, I explain that if you didn't follow the corporate formalities along the way, you need documentation that ratifies what your entity has done to date. Her attorney identifies what needs to be updated in the company agreement and what needs to be documented.
Days 61 to 90: Finish and systematize. The members sign the updates. Dana sets up the annual routine the book describes: hold an annual meeting, prepare a waiver of notice, and prepare meeting minutes or a unanimous written consent, then keep them in the company records. She puts the annual franchise tax deadline on the calendar. For 2026 reports, the Texas Comptroller listed the due date as May 15.
Calendar: Every Tuesday, 7:00 to 8:30 AM, is blocked for this project.
Accountability: Dana and her business partner do a 15-minute check-in every Friday and write down what got done.
That's one priority. Dana still has room for up to three more.
Here's the bridge I want you to see. The planning is yours. The legal review isn't a do-it-yourself project. A 90-day plan gives you the focus to finally get it done. The right advisors make sure it's done right.
Make the Commitment
The companion workbook to the book ends the 90-Day Game Plan with a commitment line. I'd love for you to say it out loud:
"For the next 90 days, I will identify the cracks before they become breaks, build systems instead of depending on memory, seek qualified guidance instead of guessing, and focus on the priorities that strengthen, grow, and protect my business."
If you start Monday, October 19, your 90 days ends in mid-January. You can walk into the new year with something finished instead of another list of goals.
ACTION CHALLENGE: Before Monday, write down every major goal you have for your business. Circle no more than four. Pick one and write its 90-day goal in a single sentence.
From The Shatterproof Entrepreneur: Phase 1 (Ch. 4, The Power of 90 Days; Ch. 5, The Power of Key Advisors; Ch. 6, The Power of Documentation).
Don't Run Your 90 Days Alone: Join the Shatterproof Room
The Shatterproof Room is our coaching community for business owners who want focus, accountability, and people in their corner while they build. Bring your four priorities, and we'll help you work the plan. Membership is $195 per month.
The Shatterproof Room is a coaching and education community offered by Shatterproof Solutions, LLC. It is not legal services and does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Stay Shatterproof!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 90-Day Blast?
It's the planning method from Chapter 4 of The Shatterproof Entrepreneur. You pick your top priorities, set a 90-day goal for each one, break it into milestones, schedule the work, focus during that time, and track your progress.
Why no more than four priorities?
Because focus is limited. In the book I explain that beyond four priorities or significant projects in a year, time and attention become too diluted, which can lead to failure.
What annual filings does a Texas LLC have?
Most Texas LLCs have an annual franchise tax filing with the Texas Comptroller. For 2026 reports, the Comptroller listed the due date as May 15, 2026, and entities at or below the no-tax-due threshold still file a Public Information Report or Ownership Information Report. Your CPA should confirm what applies to your business.
How do I stay accountable for 90 days?
Put the work on your calendar, track what you finish, and bring someone in with you. A coach, a business partner, or a peer group all work. The point is that someone besides you knows the goal and checks in.
This article is for general educational purposes only and is not legal advice. Reading this article does not create an attorney-client relationship. For advice about your specific business, consult a qualified attorney.
About Scott Reib
Scott Reib, known as America's Legal Coach, is an attorney, entrepreneur, author, and speaker who helps business owners build companies that are protected, resilient, and capable of operating without depending entirely on them. He is the founder of REIBLAW and Shatterproof Solutions, the Official Zig Ziglar Small Business Lawyer, and the author of The Shatterproof Entrepreneur.