Tag Archives | objectives
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Clarify Your Objectives

By on August 31, 2010 in Success

Many people confuse goals and objectives and in fact it’s true that the terms are often used interchangeably. I prefer to differentiate between the two for my own purposes and those I work with. Goals are usually more general in nature and less tangible. Objectives tend to be more specific and “vision-able.” I think I might have made that word up, but it suits my definition so I’m using creative license here. What I mean by that term, “vision-able” is that you can picture the objective in your mind – see it, hear it, taste it and feel it. I like to think of goals as “big picture” ideas.  Objectives are more nitty-gritty.

For example, I want to lose 20 pounds by January 1st is a decent goal. It meets all the S.M.A.R.T. requirements. But it’s sort of “flat.” I will lose 20 pounds so that I can fit into my size “whatever” pants, be healthy and run a 5k by January 1st is a better objective. You can almost see yourself wearing your smaller pants and feel the exhilaration of running that race. It is more “real” and therefore much more effective for our purposes. I am not knocking goals, but for today let’s focus on clarifying your objectives instead.

Let’s try another example. I intend to start my own business, replace my income and quit my job by June 1st. Okay.

What does the objective look like?

  • What type and form of business?
  • What is the real purpose or intention?
  • What is the specific amount of income needed?
  • What will your work schedule look like?
  • What will your work environment consist of? At home or in office?
  • Will you have employees?

I intend to start a catering business for parties operating out of my home kitchen by June 1st. I will employ two part time employees and gross $200,000 annually.

Do you see the difference? This objective is much clearer and more “real” to me. This also makes it much more motivating and actionable.

Take a look at each one of your objectives and make sure it is so clear you can almost reach out and touch it!

This is part of an ongoing discussion on my rules to maximize productivity. To read more see Golden Rules of Productivity.

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Are You Productive or Just Busy?

By on June 16, 2010 in Success

Some can’t distinguish between being busy and being productive. They are human windmills, flailing at work, but actually accomplishing little. – Caroline Donnelly

Often it is very difficult to tell the difference between being busy and being productive. On the surface they can appear much the same. Whether you are rushing or focusing, surrounded by chaos or organization, never finish anything or are triumphantly checking tasks off with a righteous pen. Even if you are constantly busy; if you don’t accomplish anything then you are not productive.

People can keep themselves busy in many ways; spending all their time organizing and  preparing ( some is good – too much is bad), talking on the phone , buried in email, visiting with people, surfing the internet or haunting social media outlets, dealing with other people’s problems, etc. However, indiscriminate, even scheduled busyness can often lead to frustration and feeling ineffectual if you are busying yourself with things that aren’t really important.

A great question to ask yourself is:

Are the items on your task list bringing you closer to achieving your most important goals?

If not, then take a really careful look at why you are still doing it! Being truly productive does not involve just checking things off your list or always getting a lot done. It involves pinpointing and completing the specific tasks or projects that will get you where you really want to go. If you want to maximize your success and get the most bang for your buck time-wise, then make sure that you are not wasting time on useless busyness.

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Productivity is a Valuable Tool in Every Area

By on June 4, 2010 in Success

Productivity comes in many forms and manifests itself differently depending on your work, life or focus. It really is just a matter of getting results or accomplishing a goal or task that brings you closer to a desired, meaningful outcome. That may be a new or better job, higher revenue or income, enhanced relationships, improved health or simply a more organized or efficient home of life with less stress. The skill or strategy of being productive is highly transferrable to every aspect of your life and is unquestionably worth the investment of your time and resources to cultivate as often as possible.

Whatever your goal; true personal productivity involves:

  • Having a clear outcome
  • Defining your purpose
  • Timeframe for either completion or progress
  • Method of accountability
  • Outlined steps or tasks required
  • Reward yourself if possible

Let me share with you a simple example from my own personal life to illustrate the concept in very basic terms. My son and I recently began a practice of reading together before school. We both love to read and used to read together at bedtime, but that just doesn’t happen anymore – he prefers to read by himself quietly before bed and my evenings are just so busy much of the time. At any rate, I decided to take my own advice and look at this personal issue from a productivity standpoint – what would I advise someone else to do?

  • Outcome – Read The Mysterious Benedict Society with my 11 year old son
  • Purpose – Spend quality one-on-one time with my child doing something we enjoy
  • Timeframe – One month
  • Accountability – Son as partner – he waits for me in our reading place and reminds me
  • Steps/tasks – Read for 15 minutes each school morning while waiting for bus
  • Reward – Breakfast in the park & a new book for next month

In this case since I was working with a partner, so commitment on both our parts was necessary to make this work. There were obstacles of course – days I had to leave home early or when one of us was ill – but even then we would treat this as a firm commitment and work around those roadblocks by rescheduling for afterschool or a “make-up” session on the weekend.(Yes, I added these sessions to my calendar!)

Simple, easy and remarkably effective!

What project or goal can you apply this too?

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Are Your Goals SMART?

By on April 14, 2010 in Success

bullseye goalSpecific: Goals must be very clear, not sort of vague ideas. We often set goals that are so generic, it’s nearly impossible to measure progress or successful achievement. You need to know what has to be done or what specifically the desired end result will be.

BAD EXAMPLE:

  • I want to lose weight – Well who doesn’t? What does that mean?

GOOD EXAMPLE:

  • I want to lose 20 pounds by September 1st. I will perform a half hour of cardio and half hour of strength training per day, 5 times a week.

Measurable: Goals need to be measurable. They should be well-defined, concrete goals and must be in qualitative or quantitative terms. If your goals are not measurable, you will never know whether you are making progress toward their successful completion. Choose some unit of measurement that will allow you to see exactly how far you have come and how far away from the completion of the goal you are.

BAD EXAMPLE:

  • I want to be rich.
  • I want to be successful.

GOOD EXAMPLE:

  • I want to gross 1 million dollars and have a team of 5 within 3 years.

Attainable: Goals need to be realistic and achievable. Time and again, success or failure depends on setting practical goals. The best goals require you to stretch a bit to achieve, but they aren’t out of reach. Don’t set yourself up for failure by setting goals that are too high. You should consider your skills and resources available to help you achieve your goal. Creating goals that are not attainable is very disheartening and will only serve to discourage you in life.

BAD EXAMPLE:

  • I want to become a millionaire in 3 months (don’t we all!)

GOOD EXAMPLE:

  • I want to make an extra $500 per month.
  • I want to increase my savings account by $10,000 in 3 years.

Relevant: Goals must be relevant to your purpose (or your company’s.)  Relevant goals ensure that you are directing your effort towards goals that are focused on your mission statement, business objective or overall strategic long-term plan in life. The goal also has to be relevant or consistent with your responsibilities, knowledge, skill set, and access.

BAD EXAMPLE:

  • I want to network more – Why? What does that get you? How?

GOOD EXAMPLE:

  • I want to build a charitable foundation that helps feed the homeless.

Time Sensitive: Goals need to have a time frame, milestones and a deadline. Having a set amount of time will give your goals structure. It also helps you monitor your progress. Not having time constraints attached to your goal triggers procrastination. Without an end date there is no sense of urgency, no impetus to take any action today. Without this component we are tempted to put the goal off for a later time and never get around to it; or it simply gets overshadowed by the day to day grind.

BAD EXAMPLE:

  • I want to write a book.
  • I want to start my own business.

GOOD EXAMPLE:

  • I want to write a book on financial planning and submit it to publishers 1 year from today.
  • I want to have a retirement account with at least $500,000 within 5 years from this date.

By spending some time towards making sure that your goals fit the SMART criteria, you will make your success much more likely.

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