Time Management

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Topic 2 What: think about your goals

Time Management Unit 2: Time management and your goals Topic 2 What: think about your goals

We need to know what we want to achieve to be able to find our way. As Seneca put it: “If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable”.

Our goals set our direction and strategy to our acts and they are achieved through individual tasks and steps.

We should realize that already the point of setting our goals is a proactive way to gain control over our lives. Good goals imply many criteria, two of them being of highest importance:

    • the goals are measurable (we know exactly success indicators – time, amount, number,…).
    • the goals are achievable (we should be capable of reaching them).

Smart goals should respond to the following questions:

  • WHAT exactly do you want to achieve?
    • HOW do you want to achieve it?
      • WHEN do you want to achieve it?
        • WHY do you want to achieve it?
          • Do we have CONDITIONS favorable to achieve it?

Activity: Set your own smart targets

Your task is to note down at least three goals that will help you achieve your WHY. Use the SMART methodology. For more complex goals, use SMART methodology also to break the goal down into individual steps and activities needed to achieve the goal.

Should you still feel unsure how to do it, ask yourself the following questions:

  • What do I have to do, change or omit to achieve my goals?
  • Are there preconditions (knowledge, skills, resources) to achieve it?
  • Will I be able to reach the goal myself or will I need external help?
  • What is the timeframe for achieving it?
  • How will I find out my achievement? How can I measure the goal?

EXAMPLES:

GOAL No. 1 I will find a new job as main employment in my hometown by 10 October of this year. 

  • Activity No. 1 in the following week: on Monday I shall call to the Employment Authority and fix a meeting there with the aim of finding a job.
  • Activity No. 2 in the following week: starting from Monday, I will be looking at advertisements in xx newspapers and on the Internet at the xxx website.
  • Activity No. 3 in the following week: I will contact the non profit organisation that helps with job search and the related activities: CV writing, interview training etc.

GOAL No. 2 This week, I will learn 10 English phrases.

  • Activity No. 1 in the following week: on Monday I will look at the English phrases textbook and write down the phrases to be learned

GOAL No. 3 Every day I will spend at least one hour with my son reading.

Activity: Make your list of tasks and activities

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