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We’ve entered the second half of 2018 and the beginning of Q3. Now is the perfect opportunity to assess how well we have been managing our time and to determine whether we are on track to have the 2018 we hoped for back in January.
Check out my 10-question Time Management Assessment quiz to see how you are measuring up, and receive a free cheat sheet that outlines 10 areas you can address today to reclaim and better manage your valuable time.
Focus is an important ingredient in goal-setting and achievement. Most people think of focus as the act of remaining on-task, avoiding distraction, and carefully following whatever procedure we have determined will lead us to success. However, we often overlook the importance of looking toward the horizon and focusing on the vision we want to come to fruition.
Imagine Yourself Achieving Your Goals
If you are working on modifying a habit or achieving a specific goal, it is important that you set aside time each day to envision yourself being successful. While some may view this exercise as not being particularly beneficial or even as a waste of time, envisioning your own success is actually vital. Not only does imagining yourself crossing the finish line allow you to shift your thoughts from the stress of being hard at work in the trenches, striving to inch closer to your goal, but envisioning your success may also help you figure out exactly what steps you will need to take to get there.
Filling In the Details
If your goal, for example, is to purchase your first home this year, allowing yourself to envision the size of the home, location, furniture, and paint color will help you answer several key questions, including “How much would this type of home in that particular location cost?” “How much more should I set aside for decorating expenses?” “What steps do I need to take to save enough money for the down payment?” If you simply set a vague goal of “saving for a house,” at the end of the year, you may find yourself coming up short because you have not saved enough, or the opposite may happen: you may restrict yourself more than necessary and completely compromise your quality of life only to find that you could have spent more time with family, gotten more sleep at night and still achieved your goal of saving for your first home.
Focusing on Your Goal Can Help You Persevere
Reminding yourself of exactly what you want and are working to achieve will help you maintain a sense of “purpose” during hard times. Thinking of how it will feel to invite your family and friends over to your housewarming party can help you find the energy you need to go to that second job after you have worked a full day at your main place of employment. Imagining yourself being able to wear a bikini on the beach with your friends can help motivate you to forego that intense desire to binge on carbs. Being able to close your eyes and see and feel yourself enjoying the benefit of your hard work can help you continue to work hard when you feel like quitting.
Daydreaming is for Grownups, Too
There is power in allowing yourself to dream and imagine yourself living the life you want to live. Oftentimes, the contrast between the dream world and our reality can be more than enough to compel us to do something about the tension between the two and work to make the dream our reality.
Business Insider Magazine reports 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail before February. Now that we are a few weeks into January, you may feel yourself reverting to those habits you’ve wanted to change. The following tips will help you keep going strong into February and beyond:
1. Set benchmarks. Instead of planning to immediately make a gigantic change all at once, set benchmarks that will ultimately lead you to your larger goal. For example, if you want to start cooking at home and eliminate fast food, reduce the number of times you go out for fast food by half. Next month, reduce that number by half again. Keep cutting down until you’re no longer eating fast food. In some cases, you may need to make very immediate changes up front (i.e. if your health dictates an immediate switch), in which case you should do whatever your health professional tells you. But in most cases, gradual change is more likely to become permanent behavior.
2. Get back on the horse! It’s VERY easy to give up on your diet after having a forbidden dinner, throw your commitment to arriving on time out the window the first couple times you’re late to work, or to skip a couple days at the gym and never go back. Instead of feeling like you have to go back to the drawing board, pick up where you left off as if you never missed a beat.
3. Assess yourself frequently. If you are having difficulty making a change or sticking to a resolution, evaluate why you have decided to make the change, and consider all possible mental, emotional, and situation blocks that may be preventing you from making the change. Then work to bypass or, if necessary, eliminate those blocks.
4. Consult someone with more experience. When in doubt, seek help. Hire a coach. Ask a friend who has been there/done that. Join my Facebook group! Transformation is much more easily attained with the support of like-minded people. My goal for the group is to create a community of people who are focused on becoming the best version of themselves and helping others along the way!
Rolanda L., Professional Organizer 