When we are very young or very old, time seems endless. But for the majority of our lives, time is something we always need.

We are always pressed for time or seem to owe time to others from our bosses to our families. Time is such a valuable commodity so we need to make sure that we use it carefully. Careful use of our time means one thing — time management.

The sad truth is that most of us who are really in need of time management rarely utilize it. However, spending time on this simple four-step plan named “TIME” can really make a difference in your day, your life, and your time!

T Is For Taking Time To Plan

Every minute spent on planning and organizing will save at least that amount of time when you implement your plan. Shopping trips taken without a list often result in wasted time, errands run without prior planning often mean wasted time, and tasks not properly organized often mean wasted time. We all know this is true and yet we still rush forward in our haste to get something done. Take time to plan and you will be more efficient.

I Is For Involving Others

Whether at work or at home, involving other crucial stake-holders in your planning and prioritizing can help you attend to the essentials and share the work. Others may have good ideas to help you achieve your goals and others may well spark even more ideas from you. Sometimes, simply talking things over with a sympathetic audience can help you think more clearly. Don’t forget to give others a share in the work as well as the planning.

M Is For Meditation

No matter how busy your life or hectic your schedule is, you must take time to reflect on your goals and dreams. Taking a few moment to clear your mind, focus your energy, and rebuild your strength can revitalize you and help you accomplish more when you swing back into action.

Allowing yourself this down time may well give you the opportunity to prioritize and brainstorm so you can be even more productive than before. Even if you don’t have brainstorms from taking this time out, it will definitely give you an energy boost.

E Is For Evaluation

It is important for you to regularly evaluate your priorities and goals. Perhaps you have accomplished tasks that can now be permanently crossed off your list or can be set aside until a later date. Perhaps you have achieved certain goals resulting in a change of other priorities. Perhaps you simply have learned something along the way that caused a number of shifts in your priorities and goals.

Evaluation can also give you a sense of accomplishment if you look back on what you have achieved and the goals you have reached.

Even if taking TIME for time management can seem wasteful, it is actually a process that pays for itself time and again. Time management may cost you time for planning and organization but in the end it helps you gain time through efficiency and prioritization. The simple truth is that time management saves you time and stress.

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It is therefore absolutely essential that the goals you set for yourself are aligned with your basic values.

What Are Your Basic Values

Your basic values are the things that you believe in, you are passionate about and what you regard as important. They are who you are and what you stand for. For example, if honesty and fairness is something you value as a person, your goals and future actions should be aligned with these values. Such as making money, in a way that is fair and honest, without cheating or harming people.

Taking the time to think about your basic values is an extremely important thing to do, as if you set goals that are not aligned with what you believe in, or stand for, will in a lack of motivation and a feeling that you are not doing the right thing.

So if you strongly value honesty and fairness in life, but then try to make money using dishonest means you are likely to feel bad about doing so, and consequently will lack the motivation to successfully go after and achieve your goals. If you do not enjoy what you are doing, then it is highly unlikely you will become successful at it and this is why it is so important to choose the goals that are right for you.

Another important consideration to make when setting goals is whether or not they challenge you. If the goals you are setting do not “stretch you” and pull you outside your comfort zone, then you are unlikely to feel motivated and driven to achieve them. However goals should not be too challenging, or unrealistic, as otherwise they will seem impossible to accomplish and you will most likely give up on them.

This does not mean to say that you should not think big. What may seem possible for one person, may seem completely impossible to another. So the goals you set should be based on what you realistically believe you can achieve.
This last point raises another important issue, as often people set goals which are influenced by what other people think. For example, many people believe flying was an impossible task, and something which could never be done.

However the Wright brothers, did not believe flying was impossible and as a result went onto create the world’s first flying airplane. If the Wright brothers had allowed other peoples limiting beliefs to influence the goals they set for themselves, who knows, maybe we would not have airplanes today.

So when setting yourself goals make sure they are the things that you really want to do in life, and are aligned with what you believe in and believe you can achieve. If you can do this you will set goals that are right for you, and vastly increase the chances you will accomplish them.

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Here are some tips that will get you on your way to finding more time.

• Clarify your goals and strategy. Be very clear about your aims and ambitions, both short and long term. Write them down. Once you know what you really want to achieve (and why) it’s easier to make decisions about what needs doing, and to plan accordingly.

• Focus on your top priorities. You’ll be more productive and profitable if you identify and.focus on the areas most important to your business. Work on the fundamentals first. The Latin word ‘fundamentum’ means foundation – so take action, build strong foundations and the rest should follow.

• Schedule time. Literally write an appointment in your work planner (you do have one of those, don’t you?) to set aside a realistic block of time for your priority actions. This reduces anxiety over not having enough time and keeps you focused.

• Say no! Consider Jim Rohn’s suggestion. “Learn how to say no. Don’t let your mouth overload your back.” Always check your schedule before committing to anything new. Don’t allow others to divert you from your objectives.

• Create supportive systems. This includes systems for filing, management information and communication.
Photo by turtlemom4bacon

• Take a reality check. Will your current activity have a positive outcome, or are you doing it to avoid something else? Ask yourself – will doing this take me towards my goal? As Peter F Drucker observed “There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.”

• Delegate! It’s tempting to do something yourself when you think you can do it faster and better. But consider the long term – delegation now will save time in the future, and if done appropriately can motivate your staff, boost their confidence and help them develop their skills.

• Repeat your success. Remember the last time you went away on holiday, and how you got so much done in those few days before you left? What strategies and techniques did you employ that made you so effective and focused? Can you repeat them? Alternatively, imagine you are going away tomorrow and work through today accordingly.

• Balance your life. Formally schedule personal activities too, so you make time for family, friends, your health and fun because having a balanced life reduces stress and increases energy levels. Time management is really about life management!

• End the day. At the end of the working day, tidy your desk, make notes about what needs doing tomorrow and prioritize those tasks. You’ll worry less that evening and be prepared and focused the next morning.

And a final thought. “Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson and Albert Einstein.”
Photo by wildphotons

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I was surfing around the web and came across this great compilation of interviews with Will Smith. It strikes me that this man is a very deep thinker… I would love to have a conversation with him some day soon!

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Here are some of the goal setting activities that are of importance.

1. Use your mind and talents fully. Maximize what has been given you. If you are aware that you are capable of things that other people are not, make it work to your advantage.

2. Have more purpose and direction in life. Believe it or not, there are many people who only discover what they want in life in later years. Think of all the time that was wasted. It is important to have specific goals early on in life to be able to have more time to work on them and bring them into reality.

3. Make better decisions. Do not be hasty in whatever endeavors you encounter in life. Not all things have to be decided on instantly. Think fully before making any decision that you might regret later on.

4. Be more organized and effective. Take note that not all people who are always rushing things and on the go are the most effective people. There are other considerations in life that have to be neatly planned to have an effective result. Sit down for a moment and make a schedule or plan.

5. Do more for yourself and others. Too much and too less of giving and taking is not always good. There are times when we have to balance these factors. Know which one needs your attention more, yourself or others? Although it is not always a problem, you have to have equal time set for both.

6. Have greater confidence and self-worth. One of the greatest threats that can pull you down is lack of self-confidence and self-worth. If you do not have that belief in yourself, why should others put their faith in you? Other people that are lacking in talent and resources can get through by oozing self-confidence to help them pursue their goals.

7. Feel more fulfilled. Be happy with the simple things that you have attained in a day. Do not set aside small victories as something that are worthless. All achievements should make you feel proud. Pat yourself on the back once in awhile when achieving these seemingly insignificant victories.

8. Be more enthusiastic and motivated. Face each day as a day different from the last. Try to make each day a work of art, a masterpiece.

9. Accomplish uncommon projects. Nothing can compare with the feeling when you have done something that few others have. Try to be successful in things that other people are shying away from.

10. Always want more. Do not be satisfied with what you have. Try to get more out of life.

Once you have completed one goal, be sure to replace it with something else. Goal setting achievements are a life-long process. You have all the time in the world to do what you want. This way you will always reap the benefits of what your goal settings has provided.

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Think of a time in your life when you achieved something you really wanted. Did you doubt it would happen and believe that you could not achieve it? Or did you have a solid sense of knowing that it would happen and doubt never entered into your mind?  I love that feeling!  It is like a calm peacefulness falls over you and you move forward with no obstacles.

It was the second wasn’t it?

When Richard Branson set up Virgin Airways, did he sit in his office and wonder if it would ever work?

Did Bill Gates sit in his office wondering if anyone would want to buy his Windows product?

They may have done for a little while, but they did not let these doubts rule them. They knew their plans would work and that they would be successful.

When working to achieve your goals, you need that unerring sense of confidence and lack of doubt in yourself. You must Know it is going to happen and that you will succeed. We are not talking about thinking you will succeed, believing you will succeed or knowing you will achieve your goal.

They are all intellectual forms of Knowing, Knowing with a capital K; that solid feeling in the pit of your stomach that you will make happen and you cannot fail. Expect it to happen and know there is no other way. It will happen. This Knowing gives you drive and commitment to see you through to the success of your goal.

But how do you get this feeling? One of the best and most effective techniques is visualization.

You currently use the power of visualization, probably without even realizing it. Have you ever run through what you are going to say to someone before you have the conversation? Or seen yourself in your mind giving a presentation before you give it?

That is the power of visualization, and it is very potent. You can use it not only for your goals, but for any aspect of your life. Visualization is something most people are unused to directing. You will find initially that your attention will wander, but you have to pull it back to the task at hand. It is similar to building a muscle up through exercise – it takes time to strengthen it.

The exercise for visualizing your goals is very simple, and is as follows.

1. Select the goal that you wish to work with
2. Picture an image of this goal in your mind
3. Visualize yourself attaining your goal. Use all of your senses – touch, hearing, sight, smell, and taste. Really feel your success with every fibre of your being and Know that your goal is as good as achieved.
4. Hold this image in your mind for a minimum of 10 minutes – remain focus and positive. Challenge any doubts that rise and replace them with positive words and images of success. If you get distracted or your mind wanders, bring your focus back to your goal.

You can also hold this successful image in your mind as you go about your day to day business. Keep the image there and focus on your success. You get what you focus on – and if you focus on achieving your goal, then you will get it. Visualization is a method of programming the subconscious mind for success.

With some goals you may want to keep them private. If you are trying to get fit and your friends know you have been less than energetic in the past when you tell them your goal, they will laugh and joke and not believe you. This doubt and disbelief can affect your belief in yourself and in your goal, which in turn can lead to failure to achieve the goal.

It is hard enough to overcome our own doubts and worries without having to also overcome those of the people around you. Keep any goals where you may be influenced by others to yourself and let the people around you see the successful end result.

Affirming Success

Another method for achieving your goals is to use affirmations, which means you repeat your goal again and again to yourself. This is another method of programming your subconscious mind, which is the source of all action.

An affirmation is a sentence or two that is written in a positive language with definite targets and timescales. A bad affirmation would be “I want to lose some weight.” Your subconscious looks at this and since there is no timescale it will not leap into action. There is also no definite target so your subconscious does not know what to aim for. How is “some weight” defined? It is 10 pounds, but also 1 pound and also just 1 ounce.

A good affirmation is “I want to lose 10 pounds by the end of this year.” This sends the right messages to your subconscious. It knows that you exactly how much you have to lose (10 pounds) and when this must be done by (the end of this year). You know precisely what you have to do and when it has to be done by.

If the goal is to lose 10 pounds by the end of the year, we need an action plan to get us to this goal and to make it happen. In this case the action plan may be to reduce our chocolate intake and increase the amount of fruits and vegetables we consume. The action plan is made up of a series of milestones. For example, if there are 5 months until the end of the year then our milestones would be to lose 2 pounds each month.

Achievement requires Knowing, drive and commitment, combined with careful and meticulous planning and a firm belief in ourselves.

Little Steps

You may have a big goal such as “To have an income in excess of $100,000 a year by the time I am 35” (notice the goal is specific in both the timescale and the amount and does not put an upper limit on your earning potential.)

This goal can be very daunting to look at, perhaps even enough for you to give up and not strive to achieve it. To overcome this, you break your goal down into a number of smaller, more manageable steps.

Any large goal can be broken down into a number of sub-goals, which can then be broken down even further if necessary. Each of the sub-goals has an associated action plan with it. Using our income goal from above, sub-goals could be to understand taxation, to understand investment, to start your own company, and so on.

Smaller goals are easier for you to handle, and help you to stay on course to your main goal. You also get the satisfaction of regularly having successes and achieving goals, which does wonders for your belief in yourself.

All of your major goals and their associated sub-goals and action plans need to be regularly reviewed – ideally daily. This ensures you remain focussed on your goals and instantly know if you start to drift away from your target. It allows you to adjust your goals and action plan according to whether things are working quicker or slower than planned. It also prevents you from repeating actions and carrying out tasks that are not necessary. It keeps the goals in the forefront of your mind, and does not allow you to forget about them.

Achieving our goals is something we all want to do, but it involves work. Rarely will they be given to us on a silver platter by a servant on bended knee.

Achievement requires Knowing, drive and commitment, combined with careful and meticulous planning and a firm belief in ourselves. With unwavering belief and commitment there is nothing that you cannot achieve. Everything and anything is within your grasp – if you are willing to make the commitment to achieving it.

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Here are just a few steps that can help you focus and get really certain about what goal you should be working on.

Step 1: at the top of a blank piece of paper write down “values” and then spend 10 to 15 minutes writing down everything that you value. Check online for  a list of  values to start your mind thinking in the right direction. After the time is up, stop doing this and move to Step 2.

Step 2: at the top of a blank piece of paper write down “lifetime goals”. This is where you can dream; for example, what places would you like to visit; what experiences would you like to have; what would you like to accomplish within your lifetime. This might include traveling to Australia; getting a university degree; living in an X square foot house, etc. There are no rules to this brainstorming – simply make a list.

Step 3: at the top of a blank piece of paper write down what you would do if you had six months to live. Part of the purpose of this exercise that I found works well for me is that it brings the truly important into focus. Often I find things that I would do if I had only six months to live that are not listed on my life time goals.

Step 4: at the top of a blank piece of paper write down your goals for this year. After doing the first three steps, you will find this step much easier than the others. These are the goals to focus on NOW.

This total exercise will only take an hour. An hour spent clarifying your goals can give you much greater focus and motivation to move forward.

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Step Number One

Spend some quiet time and write down exactly what the change or changes will be and why you want them, this is the first crucial step towards achieving goals.  At this stage, write only what it is you’d like to achieve and why.  The ‘how’s’ and ‘when’s’ can come later.

Step Number Two

This step too is very important, and it has everything to do with you accessing a state of inner peace.  The peace I write about has little to do with listening to relaxation music, essential oils in a burner or harps playing (though they can help).  Achievement of your goal requires having peace through a quiet mind and inner calmness regardless of the chaos around you and how long this chaos reigns.

When you have this (peace) you’ll have greater clarity, your creative self will make itself known, you’ll gain foresight into how you will achieve your outcome, focus, and negativity will have minimal impact.

There are individuals who know how to step into the state of peace; however others may require some gentle guidance.

If you find achieving a peace state challenging, I like to call this Extreme Self Care, try these 5 options:

1. Find yourself some quiet time when you know you’ll be undisturbed and paint, draw, write, or map out all you can about your intended outcome.
2. Embark on a meditation program that will teach you a selection of meditation techniques.
3. If you’re willing to be coached, find yourself a reputable personal coach who can help you work through limiting beliefs and help you discover what your values are.
4. Seek out a mentor.  This would be someone whom you admire, is inspiring, motivating, and successful, be available to you and who is a fundamentally positive, peaceful and calm individual.
5. Embark on a spiritual development program.

The world of alternatives is huge.  To find something you’ll be happy with may take a little research, start by asking friends and family members to point you in the right direction.  If they’re just not into that kind of thing it may be wise to broaden your search through the internet, books, and/or other members of your community.

Step Number Three

This important step is about gifting yourself with a fresh outlook on life.

Looking at things in a totally different way and from a new angle will give you a more global perspective revealing greater possibilities and may be achieved by:

1. Asking parts of you what is important to you, each time you receive an answer continue by asking why that answer is important.  When you can go no further ask yourself “how can you change this issue?”  This may sound a bit strange, however from experience this works.
2. Understanding your motivation or lack of motivation.  Once you’ve gained an understanding of you, you’re in a position to become proactive into making necessary changes toward achieving your goal.

Step Number Four

By now you know exactly what you want; you can step into profound inner peace at will; have picked up great self-help and self-healing tools; eliminated limiting beliefs; and worked out your values.  Now it’s time to finally pinpoint exactly how you’re going to go about achieving your goal.

There will be many ways on how you’ll achieve your goal; however the time frame will vary greatly depending on what you need to acquire first.   Maybe you need:

1. To acquire new skills such as sales, writing, technology, or marketing skills etc. for that new career you’ve always wanted to be part of.
2. To seriously start networking yourself and your product.  Become known in your community.
3. To gather a team of like minded individuals that will motivate and inspire you into achieving your goal, whatever it is.
4. Read as much as possible on whatever your goal is, it will give you a fundamental understanding of what it’s all about.

Step Number Five

This last but important step (they’re all important) is the calculation of when your outcome will finally eventuate.  If you’ve followed the previous steps adding Step Number Four into the equation, you’ll be able to determine the time you can celebrate in a really, huge way of finally reaching the pot at the end of your rainbow!

1. Calculate the time it takes to complete your training courses or higher education.
2. Discuss with your business/personal development/ transformational coach how many sessions and ‘home-play’ will be required of you for you to achieve your goal.
3. Factor in time it takes for people to get to know you if you’re selling a product or you are the product.  Speak with a marketing professional or someone ‘in the know’ first.
4. It’s important to be realistic about time frames.  Sometimes our greatest plans will go awry and will take much longer than expected (much like newly discovered actors and singers who have been plugging their trade for many years before hitting the big time!)

Anyone can achieve goals through inner peace, perseverance, patience, flexibility and sometimes viewing situations from an entirely different angle.

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1. Focus on Success

Goals help us to focus, and the quality of our attention is enhanced by a having a project so cool and interesting that we can’t help but make a leap.

Let’s say, you want to organize your workspace so that everyone is inspired to do their best work. The in-between steps: like ergonomic concerns & planning comfortable lighting, in-and-of itself can seem mundane, but joined together they name a bigger accomplishment and by doing so, asks us to spice up our expectations & upgrade who we are.

Focus on success & keep in mind how you want things to end up–And you’ll soon enough be successful.

• name the accomplishment
• give your project a title
• what needs to be done by when
• how would you like things to end up
• identify upbeat reasons for pursuing the goal

2. Shoot for the Moon
Define greatness, challenge the limits, double the goal, or try something new…These are just some of the sentiments that put our plans into action and move us towards revolutionary results. Look around and witness the very essence of commonplace activities being tested and re-imagined.

Such as schools re-defining Physical Education by bringing in activities ranging from kickboxing to more esoteric offerings like tai chi and yoga. And with the introduction of Blogs, an international conversation is in full swing with millions of links and a central clearing house inspired by immediacy, intrigue and tension.

Raising the bar on a project can simply mean taking one extra step, having an allegiance to a weird idea, or devoting to a regular practice.

Commit to a goal in a meaningful way, personalize it & make it your own, and then watch an otherwise sleepy project wake up and give way to a new found energy, creativity and distinction .

Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”

• double the goal
• challenge the limits
• create a regular practice
• raise your standards,values or beliefs
• make it a game

3. The Path of least Resistance

Sometimes a goal deserves a break.

TIME MAGAZINE reported that after 8 hours of sleep you’d be more than twice as likely to find a shortcut for solving a problem. Suggesting that taking it easy is good for the brain, and what’s good for the brain is good for the overall psyche and soul.

Are you doing too much, not getting nourished and being exhausted? Well perhaps its time to consider another path. Don’t re-invent the wheel. Pick up a book written by an expert, join a group that’s geared around your project, sign up for an informational newsletter , or ask someone to buddy up & help.

For instance, if I was writing a book and struggling with a self imposed deadline, I could simplify my project just by signing up for a writing class. What with weekly writing tasks & in-class exercises this alone would expedite the development of my book.

Another over looked short cut is to consider smaller steps. The smaller the increments the easier the goal. Deng Ming-Dao, writes in EVERYDAY TAO, An inch in one direction, then an inch in another already makes a span of 2 inches. Gradually we can improve on that. Go the path of least resistance, it’s a gift of energy.

• don’t reinvent the wheel-find someone who’s done it before
• slow down or change the pace
• keep to minimum daily standards
• write everything down–loose ideas vs. lost ideas
• the smaller the increments the easier the goal

Do you have strategies that you use to keep you focused on your goal?  I would love to hear them, post in the comments below.

“Choose Passionately”

The Passion Diva – Lori Smith

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“If I were asked to give what I consider the single most useful bit of advice for all humanity, it would be this: Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life, and when it comes, hold your head high. Look it squarely in the eye, and say, I will be bigger than you. You cannot defeat me.”

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