Time Management and Goal Setting

Goal Setting is an integral part of time management and imperative to business success. However, if badly done, it can sometimes undermine, not increase, the likelihood of success.

The reason for this is the response when failing to achieve goals. More often than not people dust themselves down and - set the same goals. So what happens - a repeat performance and yet another episode of failing to meet goals. There is a certain inevitability about this.

Worse still it feeds a sense of recurring failure. Sadly people who expect to fail inevitably do so. Often their attitude would change if they had set and recorded realistic goals so that they could more easily reflect on their successes.

Poor planning frequently leads to deficient time management. Planning that is not properly executed leads to time and effort being squandered on the wrong things or at the wrong time. Poor time management means less likelihood of success and feeds into the spiraling sense of failure.

So is there a solution? The answer is Yes - and fortunately it is a simple one.

Let us be simplistic here and look at just two things - planning and action.

Time Management Skills and the Planning Stage

To break out from the cycle of repeated failure you must literally move the goalposts. Frequently the overall purpose might be well defined, but the intervening lower level targets, or the method of attainment, might be unrealistic.

Step 1 is to ensure clarity of purpose - the ultimate objective.

Step 2 is to break this down into the various stages needed to achieve that goal. Make sure that each stage is identified in terms of how it fits with others.

Step 3 is to identify the various tasks needed to complete each stage and the order in which they must be done.

Step 4 is to determine a timescale and resources needed to achieve each task. This is often the crucial element. Failure often comes from setting a target that is unachievable and as a result of not attaining that target, discouragement sets in. Be certain to set a realistic timetable. Include contingency time.

Step 5 is to examine your new "project" in the light of other continuing responsibilities and commitments. Doubtless this will have been considered in your thinking so far, but you should now explicitly evaluate the extent to which these will be affected and adjust those plans if that is possible or desirable. If not, re-visit the schedule for your new project and ensure that it is attainable.

One vital ingredient in all of this is that these stages should be written down. They will become the yardstick by which you will evaluate your success or otherwise in terms of time management.

Time Management and the Action Stage

Work according to your timetable. Make sure that you do not fall behind because of a lack of enthusiasm, but acknowledge when the unavoidable and unexpected throws you off track. If this happens, identify if there are areas when you can make up the lost ground. If there are none then immediately re-schedule the whole project. Do not be disheartened by things outside your control, instead immediately accept the revised schedule as your new target.

If able to progress more quickly than anticipated, be careful not to get too far ahead of your plan, unless it becomes clear that your original planning was in error. In that case you would reorganize your schedule, as would be the case following unavoidable delay.

The important point here is to ensure that you do not get ahead of your schedule simply by neglecting other responsibilities, leading to problems with those. You must also ensure you do not put too much effort into your new project that it drains you of reserves. With good time management you will remain on target.

To summarize

To achieve success in anything new we need a detailed plan with which to work and to use to evaluate progress. That framework must be realistic and achievable - if not it will become the source of an unwelcome outlook concentrating on failure. When confronted with things you cannot control, then adjust your plans and forge ahead with the same determination.

Remember, a feeling of failure can lead to actual failure if the discouragement then prevents the positive attitude needed to progress. However a well crafted flexible plan, of which goal setting is an integral part,can become the means to measure our success at time management, a source of encouragement and a spur to continuing success.

Here is a good resource for time management, if that is something you struggle with:

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With a UK Masters Degree in Internal Audit and Management, Brian Hazell audited strategic & business planning within a large UK Government Department and has managed successful businesses within UK legal & financial sectors. His book Time and Tasks Management provides detailed practical steps for radically improved time management for businesses , team managers & individuals. For a FREE preview visit: http://www.timeandtasks.com