4 Steps to Your Best Year Ever
Ever had a crazy busy day, but felt like you got nothing done? (hand raised high) That's because we weren't moving towards the goals that "matter." Stop busy work from bogging down your productivity. We all have 2,001 things to do, but "what do you really want to accomplish in 2016?" Forget the bland, fly-by-night, "I will exercise more" resolution that you abandon 3 weeks after the New Year. Get ready to achieve your most juicy, scrumptious goals of all time. No magic pill or special sauce required.
Just 4 steps to your best year ever.
Step 1: Break It Down
It all begins with writing down clear and measurable goals. Then, break down those goals into "next steps" over the time allocated (i.e., 30 days, 1 year). Let's say your goal is to lose 20 pounds in 2016 which is roughly 1-2 pounds per month. But, what is the plan? What are the next actionable steps? More importantly, when will you do them? You've got to...
Step 2: Map It Out
Julie Morgenstern states, "A to-do not connected to a when doesn't get done." She's referring to "time blocking," "time chunking," or "calendar blocking." To illustrate this, you use a Time Map*. Using the example in Step 1, you decide to dedicate 30 minutes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to further this goal under life category, Health & Fitness. Now you have a "when," next is...
Step 3: Schedule It
After mapping out time "chunks" for your life categories (i.e., Health & Fitness, Self, Family, Career/Work), you slot in your "next steps" on the calendar. For example, let's continue with the goal of losing 20 pounds in 2016. You've broken down that goal into a recurring "next step" of walking/jogging for 30 minutes; 3 days a week. Your time map will have a "block" of time from 10am to 10:30am for "Health & Fitness" on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. So, you schedule in: "walk/jog; 10:00-10:30am; Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on your calendar. Rinse and repeat for goals in other life categories. Finally, you must...
Step 4: Stay The Course
'Plan your work' and 'work your plan.' If you have trouble committing to your time map (and you will), tweak it (move some things around) or start fresh with a new time map.
Whether your goal is to clean out your garage, write a novel, or lose 20 pounds, break it down into manageable "next steps, map out the time around other commitments, and schedule those next steps on your calendar. But, most importantly, stick to your guns and protect your time so you can get the things done that matter.
*A Time Map is "a budget of your week that balances your time between various departments of your life." (Morgenstern, Julie, Time Management From the Inside Out)
