Goal Setting & Time Management

                               Goal Setting & Time Management

 Goal Setting & Time Management

Goal-setting is an effective tool for self-improvement. We often set goals without planning how we're going to accomplish them, but setting goals gives us direction and purpose. Goals help us visualize our future and give us something tangible to work towards. And once you've set a goal, it's easier than ever to stay focused on it!

Time management is a skill set that enables us to get things done. If you want to achieve success, you'll need to develop good time management skills. By using the right tools, you can become much more productive. Time is money! That's true for anything - whether you're running a business or building a career. And you know that successful people don't spend their time doing things they hate. They spend their time doing what they love.You may need to write down your passions and desires; then ask yourself if you truly enjoy those activities. If not, you need to find something that you DO enjoy doing. After you've discovered where your passions lie, set small goals along the way. By setting SMART goals - specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely - you'll stay focused and you'll reach your ultimate goal faster than if you were just going in blind.  But if you work hard today, you'll reap rewards tomorrow...

 When you have a plan, you're able to make decisions more rationally. You know what steps you need to take, and you won't miss anything along the way. Learning to manage your time effectively takes practice. There's no substitute for practice, and if you're willing to put in the effort, you'll find yourself getting better at managing time over time.

Goal setting:

 Setting goals gives the owner or user a clear direction of where they want their business to go. Goals set the foundation for what you need to do to make that happen. By setting goals, you give yourself a focus and purpose, which helps you stay motivated to get things done. Once you have set goals, write them down somewhere visible (on paper, whiteboard, etc.)

 Time management:

 Time management is an extremely important aspect of business ownership. Being organized and disciplined with time is necessary if you ever hope to achieve success as a self-employed entrepreneur. You should know how much time you spend working each week, whether or not you are making enough money, and how long it takes you to complete various tasks. The goal here is to learn about your time management skills and understand what works well and what may need improvement.

 Focus:

 The first step towards achieving any goal is to identify what it is that you want and then narrow your focus. You'll likely find it easier to accomplish something small rather than trying to tackle everything at once. Once you've identified what's important to you, break it down into smaller, attainable goals. If you're looking to start a new business, for example, you might decide to invest in starting a blog first instead of taking out loans to open an online store. Then when you're ready to take the next step in growing your business, you'll already have some experience under your belt. You need to focus on what it is that you want to do. How much time, money, and effort should be put into something before you decide to commit yourself to it? Before you get started, make sure you have thought about this issue. If not, then maybe you shouldn't be doing it at all. You might be wasting your time and money without even knowing it.

Organize yourself:

 This is something that many people struggle with. And it’s not just about having a good system; it’s actually about making sure that the routine you have set up works for you. If you have a habit of being late, make sure you don’t let it happen again. If you get stressed out easily and tend to procrastinate, then try to avoid doing any tasks that you find stressful. You might want to start working at home earlier than usual to help you de-stress before going to work. If you need to leave early, make it known ahead of time (it’ll save you some hassle).

Make plans:

 Planning helps to keep things organized and gives you a sense of direction. But if you aren’t careful, planning can lead to over-commitment and unrealistic expectations. Try to plan only what you can realistically accomplish in a given timeframe rather than a whole week or month at once.

Be realistic:

 When you plan, think about how much time you will spend on each task, and whether you would be able to complete them all. Don’t forget to factor in breaks and downtime. If you end up feeling overwhelmed, it may be time to reassess. If you feel like you can’t stick to your plan, do whatever you can to cut back on the amount of time you spend on that particular task. Instead, pick a different task to focus on until you feel ready to return to your original goal.

 Stay focused:

 With a busy schedule and lots of responsibilities to juggle, it can sometimes be hard to stay focused. If you find yourself getting distracted, take a step back and look at the big picture. Ask yourself where you could improve your productivity and focus. You may want to remove additional distractions around the house—or even move somewhere quieter. When you permit yourself to unplug, you’ll have less trouble staying on track.

Balance work and play:

 If you find yourself always working, try taking some time off now and again to enjoy life. Take a walk outside, go to the park, or watch a movie together with your partner. Permit yourself to engage in activities that relax, recharge, and rejuvenate you.

Prioritize:

 Try to assign priorities to tasks based on their importance and urgency. Try to tackle the most urgent items first. By prioritizing your workload, you won’t be wasting time trying to accomplish tasks that aren’t relevant. Use a method such as “The Eisenhower Matrix” to help you determine which tasks should be completed immediately, which ones should wait a bit longer, and which ones can be put off entirely.

Keep a record:

 Make note of everything that takes place throughout the day and write down your thoughts on what you did and why. Jot down what worked well and what didn’t. Then review these notes periodically to see if your efforts are helping you meet your goals. For example, if you’re trying to reduce stress, you might write down how you felt after listening to calming music or reading a book. You can use this information to help you identify problems and figure out how to solve them.

Prioritization:

 What is the best way to handle different tasks or projects? Is it best to start with the easiest task, or does it help to work through them in order? Do you prefer to tackle the hardest first, or would you rather start with the smallest? You don't necessarily have to take action now, but you'll save time if you can answer them before starting.

 Time-Management Tools:

 There are many ways to manage your time effectively. 

 Paper and Pencil - Keeping track of things help keep you organized. All you need here is a paper and pencil (or pen). Don't try to use fancy computer programs for this! You need something simple, quick, and cheap.

 Calendar - A calendar is often necessary for keeping track of dates and deadlines. There are many apps on both phones and laptops that can help you create a calendar. A google calendar works well for basic scheduling (and I'm sure you've heard of Google), but the free version only lets you enter appointments for the next few months. You need to pay the $25/year to add unlimited appointments.

 Tasks List - Tasks lists are useful if you're trying to remember something. Often people find themselves forgetting to complete certain steps in a process before moving on to the next step. Make sure you write everything down or print it all out before moving on to the following step. Once you finish each list item, place it back where it belongs.

 To-Do Lists - To-do lists are great for helping you stay focused on the right tasks. Many software applications let you create custom lists, giving you the flexibility to organize them however you'd like. Write down the top 5 items on your list, but don't worry if they aren't in any particular order. That's okay! Just make sure you cross off your completed tasks whenever possible.

 Task Tracker App - Task trackers are useful for keeping you focused on completing specific tasks. These types of applications usually offer reminders for upcoming events. For example, if you told someone that you had a meeting today at 11 am, he/she could tell the application to remind you at 10:45 AM. Try using these kinds of reminders for yourself.

 Time Management Apps - There are several time management apps available. Check out some of the popular ones below.

 Wunderlist - Wunderlist makes note taking easy. Create lists of anything you need to accomplish. Share them with friends, family, and coworkers. Wunderlist syncs across devices so you can access your lists anywhere.

 Things - Thing is a simple app that offers an alternative to task management. Instead of organizing your tasks into lists, you simply assign a dollar amount to each task. As you complete each task, it adds to your total until you reach your goal.