Time Management Techniques

Goal Setting: A Great Time Management Technique

Is there anyone today who isn't pressed for time? The "sandwich generation" is often caring for children and parents at the same time. Many individuals are working and going to school at the same time, or working two jobs. Even people who are working just one job, or taking care of a household full time, need to learn time management techniques so they can maximize their efficiency.

Goal Setting As A Time Management Technique

One of the best tried and true time management techniques is basic goal setting. Set big goals, and then break them down into smaller goals, and establish the tasks and achievements necessary to achieve those small goals. One day they will add up to your big goals.

Say, for instance, that your major goal is to get a promotion at work. You research the qualifications for the job you hope to get, and you find out you need a college degree but you didn't quite finish yours. At the same time, you notice that, fairly or unfairly, everyone you know who is at the level where you want to be in their career is extremely physically fit and healthy looking, whereas you could stand to lose a few pounds. How does this time management technique work?

First, you set two minor goals: Getting a college degree and losing 20 pounds, all while keeping your job. Now break each goal into smaller goals, tasks and achievements. Write it all down to make it more real. Using this time management technique, your lists will look something like this:

MAJOR GOAL: Getting A Better Job.

Minor goal #1: Finish your college degree.

*Sub-minor goal: Decide which college you will graduate from.
**Tasks to achieve this goal: Online research to see which colleges offer night classes; visit campuses of qualifying campuses; meet with admissions to see which school will give you credit for your previous course work. Don't overlook online courses as a way to finish your degree.

*Sub-minor goal: Earn the required credits.
**Tasks to achieve this goal: Review course catalog; choose courses; register for class; attend classes and do coursework.

Minor goal #2: Lose 20 lbs.

Sub-minor goal: Lose 5 lbs.
**Tasks to achieve this goal: Join WeightWatchers; join a gym. Start eating healthy meals and watching your meal portion size. Drink lots of water. Visit the gym five days a week.
Sub-minor goal: repeat previous goal three more times.

And so forth. As you plan your day, add one or more of the tasks you need to complete to your daily schedule. By using the time management technique of scheduling a goal-achieving task as an actual appointment in your day, you are more likely to make that call to the registrar, or study for your next class once you have enrolled.

The beauty of this time management technique is that it can be used to break daunting, seemingly impossible achievements into small, doable tasks. By plodding forward, one task at a time, you move, unstoppable, toward your major goal.