Part of good time management is setting goals for yourself.  But your goals need to be S.M.A.R.T. What does that mean? Well, let’s look a little closer. S.M.A.R.T stands for:

Specific: Detail “exactly” what you want to achieve. You have to be specific when setting your goals. The clearer you are the better direction you will have in how to get there.

When you say “I want to raise money for diabetes” is that specific? Some would say yes but the answer is no. Yes, you want to raise money for diabetes but is that it? Again, the answer is no. Clarify, be specific! Being specific would be: “I want to raise $5000 dollars to support diabetes research by December 31st”. Can you see the difference? The first goal was not clear about exactly what you wanted to do whereas the second example specifically lists what you want to do. It becomes a goal you can actually work towards with clearly defined steps.

Measurable: Is the goal something you can measure results on and know you’re progressing? If you use the example above, would raising $1 alone satisfy your goal?  How would you measure your progress? However if you said you wanted to raise “x” amount of money by “x” date, that makes it measurable. You can see by tracking the amount of money your raise how close to your goal your getting and by adding a date you know exactly how long you have to reach that goal – making it “measurable”.

Attainable: Does your goal have the reality of being reachable or is it so far fetched that it will never be reached? You want to set a goal that you can achieve. If you said, “I will raise $100,000 for diabetes by next week” that is not attainable.  Know what you can realistically achieve and reach for that. And if you pass it, you’ll feel even better.

Realistic: Is your goal one that can be translated into realistic action? In the above example can you realistically raise money for diabetes? Yes. If you said “I will host a carwash every Saturday beginning Saturday, August 30, 2008 through Saturday, December 27, 2008 to raise $5000 for diabetes”  would that be realistic? The answer is yes. If you said you wanted to raise $5000 by 5 p.m. tomorrow by hosting 12 carwashes tomorrow,  that would not be realistic. Don’t set goals that cannot be realistically put into action.  All you’ll do in the end is make yourself feel like a failure when the result is not achieved.

Time-Sensitive: What is the time frame? If you say, my goal is to complete my essay is that time sensitive? No, because what time frame do you need to achieve the completion of your essay. So to make it more “specific” you can say, “My goal is to complete my essay by 9 p.m. on Friday”. Do you see the difference? By adding the dimension of time you have set a goal that is clear and time oriented. You have a specific time frame you’re working towards.  You can even map out steps to take leading up to your deadline. Without adding that specific time frame you leave the door open to procrastination.

You know better than anyone else what you want to achieve. You know the end result that should occur. The plan is to get you there. In order to achieve the big picture you need to set goals. Each goal will bring you one step closer to getting to where you need to be.

By setting S.M.A.R.T goals, you give yourself a definitive goal that you can actually achieve. In the end, isn’t that the whole point of time management, to get you to where you want to be? Goal setting takes time and it takes commitment to the process. With S.M.A.R.T. goals, though, a little effort goes a long way.

For CF9 -Centaur, we’ve put together an unofficial, fan shirt as a fun project. 

http://www.centaurshirt.com

We think they’re pretty cool.  Hope you do too.

“I’ll do it later.”

“It’s not due until tomorrow.”

“It would have been done on time but other things came up.”

“I can’t find anything.”

If you have ever said any of those things or even something similar, then you could benefit from better  time management. Learning to use your time wisely will go a long way. You can have more time for work, for family and for yourself -if you plan it. Planning is essential to time management. Plan your day, your week; even your month or year. 

Here are some easy steps you can take to start planning your time.

Get yourself a Planner
A planner of some sort, whether it’s a paper planner or computer software for planning, is a big help. Planners typically contain a calendar or timeline and a task list. They allow you to map out your whole day and list all the tasks you need to complete that day. When utilizing a computerized planner, you can check-off each task as you go along.
 
When using a paper planner here is a good system to track your tasks during the day: 

• A blank check box next to your task means you still have to complete that task;
• A single diagonal line (/) across your check box means you are working on the task but it has yet to be completed;
• Mark the box with a full “X” when you have completed that task mark. 

There is great satisfaction in seeing a column full of “X’s” at the end of the day. (Always write in pencil when using a paper planner. This way if things change it’s easy to correct.) 
 
This simple yet effective little system will help you greatly in knowing where you are on various tasks and on what needs to be done next.

Here are a few other tips when scheduling your time or tasks:

• Be specific. Write out “exactly” what you need to do.
• Don’t push yourself. Schedule what you must but don’t over extend yourself on items that “can” be done later.
• Manage “all” of your time. Every second counts.
• Remember to schedule time for yourself. Yes, you deserve a 15 minute break. 
• If traveling, be sure to include the travel time when planning your tasks. This will not only get you there on time but allow you a few moments to regroup or review any notes.
• Set a clear and definite start and stop time to your day. Although there are 24 hours in a day, it’s just not feasible to work all of them. 
• Break down your tasks into smaller, manageable steps. You’ll be moving towards the bigger picture.

Did you know that Walt Disney built Disneyland in 366 days? How? He knew how to manage his time and the time of his employees.  Planning does take time to get used to. However, planning is essential to making the most of your time, . You know the old saying “practice makes perfect”, well now is the perfect time to “practice” planning your day.

Do you know that your stress levels are greatly affected by how you manage your time?  The way you manage your time can influence the type of day that you will have.

Poor Time Management = Stress

It is estimated that most people waste at least 2 hours a day. Now that doesn’t sound like a lot when you’re considering a 24 hour time frame but you can get a lot accomplished within 2 hours. Some signs of poor time management skills are:

• Messy office. This can include a cluttered desk. You know …files everywhere!
• You can’t seem to find anything. You know it’s in there somewhere but the question is…where?
• You miss appointments. This is embarrassing enough but then you have to turn around and reschedule them.
• You are late for meetings or you arrive unprepared.
• You can’t seem to focus or concentrate on what needs to be done.

Some people have stated that being successful makes you manage your time better but the opposite is actually true….great time management skills will make you successful in your endeavors.
When using time management to plan your day, ask yourself a few key questions:

• What is the goal I’m trying to accomplish?
• What is the deadline for that goal?
• What are the outcomes of not achieving this deadline?

You want to know why it is your doing something. Knowing the reasons for the work is important. Then target your deadline. Knowing when you have to complete something and reminding yourself of this will keep you focused. Remind yourself what the consequences are of not completing the task on time.

Start working on your list by doing the following:

• Break your list down into “baby steps”. By completing your tasks in small sections, you’re able to see yourself moving to completing the bigger picture.
• Do the dreaded thing first. Often we put off the things we really don’t want to do. We think if we push them off long enough they’ll magically disappear. Wrong! Go ahead and get the dreaded deeds out of the way. Then you will have smooth sailing from there.
• Focus on one task at a time. If you overload your plate by trying to do ten things at once you are likely to miss something. Keep your focus on one thing at a time. See it through to completion before moving on to the next task.

Everyone can acheive good time management skills. Think of it as a ladder to success. With each step you take, you’re one step closer to the top.