“It's not what if, it's what now.” ~Author Unknown
It has been far too long since I’ve written a blog post. I went looking this morning for an old post to reference, and I was completely inspired to write! So here goes!
It’s that time of year again. There’s a chill in the air, Christmas lights are popping up everywhere, the shopping mayhem has begun… And at work, it’s likely time for performance evaluations. Performance management is a necessary practice in human resources. Making sure you have the right people doing the right jobs at the right time for the right price is critical to business success. So, why do we as people not employ the same practices? Isn’t it possible that evaluating our own performance could be critical to our own personal success? I think so. I wrote this post about goals and priorities changing over time and how giving myself a quick evaluation was an eye-opening experience. And I haven’t done another since…
It’s time. I can’t possibly set appropriate goals for next year without evaluating what I’ve achieved (or not yet achieved) this year.
So, whether you’re a job seeker, a business owner, a homemaker, or an employee, here are a few questions you can ask yourself to get started.
1. What have I accomplished so far this year? What goals have I achieved?
2. What have I been proudest of? (Or, what made me the happiest?)
3. What should I continue to do next year?
4. What should I NOT continue to do next year?
5. What goals have I not yet achieved? What stopped me? Will achieving them still take me down my intended path?
6. What goals can I set for next year? What should I start doing that I have not yet started?
7. What resources do I need that I do not yet have? Where can I get help?
Knowing (or at least pondering) the answers to these questions will most certainly get you started down the goal setting path for 2012. And there’s no time like today to get moving!
“Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift. That's why we call it the present.” ~Babatunde Olatunji, a similar version is also attributed to Alice Morse Earle (http://www.quotegarden.com/live-now.html)
Showing posts with label priorities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label priorities. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Focus: Taking a Targeted Approach
“We have more ability than will power, and it is often an excuse to ourselves that we imagine that things are impossible.” ~~François de la Rochefoucauld~~
I’ve spent a great deal of time over the last few weeks talking with job seekers about the importance of being “targeted” in their search. You need to know who your target audience is and tailor your message to them. You need to be targeted in your networking efforts, targeted in your conversations and you need to target your value proposition, your cover letter, and even your resume. Of course, that got me thinking about myself and my approach to my own business and, frankly, my life in general.
I know that staying focused is critical to my success. I know that there are so many things I want to do, and it is so easy to get distracted. I can spend hours on twitter in the name of organizing my lists believing that will help me be more productive later… and while that is absolutely the truth, it is likely not the best use of my time in the middle of my work day… What if, instead, every conversation, every email, every internet search, every Facebook post, every tweet, (read: every effort) was targeted and focused on one single desired outcome?
What if you took a few minutes each morning to decide what you would like to achieve, and then focus all of your efforts for that day on achieving it? That could be really powerful! First step: figuring out what you want to achieve…
I’ve spent a great deal of time over the last few weeks talking with job seekers about the importance of being “targeted” in their search. You need to know who your target audience is and tailor your message to them. You need to be targeted in your networking efforts, targeted in your conversations and you need to target your value proposition, your cover letter, and even your resume. Of course, that got me thinking about myself and my approach to my own business and, frankly, my life in general.
I know that staying focused is critical to my success. I know that there are so many things I want to do, and it is so easy to get distracted. I can spend hours on twitter in the name of organizing my lists believing that will help me be more productive later… and while that is absolutely the truth, it is likely not the best use of my time in the middle of my work day… What if, instead, every conversation, every email, every internet search, every Facebook post, every tweet, (read: every effort) was targeted and focused on one single desired outcome?
What if you took a few minutes each morning to decide what you would like to achieve, and then focus all of your efforts for that day on achieving it? That could be really powerful! First step: figuring out what you want to achieve…
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Goals
“The world is moving so fast these days that the man who says it can't be done is generally interrupted by someone doing it.” ~~Elbert Hubbard~~
Prioritizing your short term goals can be a challenge this time of year. I, personally, am finding it difficult to get everything that I want to do, done. I say things like, “There just aren’t enough hours in the day!” when what I really mean is that I’d rather spend time decompressing in the evening than I would doing a little extra work. Yes, this may be both true and necessary all of the time, but I find it especially true and frankly, critical, this time of year. I have daycare commitments (PTO, class mom), holiday commitments (we celebrate both Chanukah and Christmas in this house), philanthropic commitments, networking commitments… and then there are competing work demands themselves. The holidays seem to be the time when everything happens all at once and people come out of the woodwork. You know they’re all important, and you know they will all help you achieve at least one of your goals in some way, and this time of year you get an overwhelming desire to be helpful to others…but how do you decide what to say “yes” to when you can’t do it all?
Here’s what I’ve come up with. If you know where you’re going it’s much easier to know how to get there. Write everything down; your goals, your commitments, some scheduled family time, events or parties, any deadlines (including getting the shopping or cooking or prep work done), and anything else that you feel you just “have to” do. Then, make a plan. Once it’s all on paper it’s easier to see what the “musts” are, and you can make them a “priority one.” Rank the rest and you will have a plan you can live with! See which tasks align best with your goals and make sure you do those first. And don’t forget about the procrastination tip: Do the one thing you want to do least early on and just get it out of the way. With a slight attitude adjustment, you may even enjoy doing it! Stay calm, add in some time to relax, and make sure you take care of yourself. You will be no good to anyone if you aren’t healthy, alert and calm.
This time of year can get you down… take some action now to prevent the stress, and enjoy!
Prioritizing your short term goals can be a challenge this time of year. I, personally, am finding it difficult to get everything that I want to do, done. I say things like, “There just aren’t enough hours in the day!” when what I really mean is that I’d rather spend time decompressing in the evening than I would doing a little extra work. Yes, this may be both true and necessary all of the time, but I find it especially true and frankly, critical, this time of year. I have daycare commitments (PTO, class mom), holiday commitments (we celebrate both Chanukah and Christmas in this house), philanthropic commitments, networking commitments… and then there are competing work demands themselves. The holidays seem to be the time when everything happens all at once and people come out of the woodwork. You know they’re all important, and you know they will all help you achieve at least one of your goals in some way, and this time of year you get an overwhelming desire to be helpful to others…but how do you decide what to say “yes” to when you can’t do it all?
Here’s what I’ve come up with. If you know where you’re going it’s much easier to know how to get there. Write everything down; your goals, your commitments, some scheduled family time, events or parties, any deadlines (including getting the shopping or cooking or prep work done), and anything else that you feel you just “have to” do. Then, make a plan. Once it’s all on paper it’s easier to see what the “musts” are, and you can make them a “priority one.” Rank the rest and you will have a plan you can live with! See which tasks align best with your goals and make sure you do those first. And don’t forget about the procrastination tip: Do the one thing you want to do least early on and just get it out of the way. With a slight attitude adjustment, you may even enjoy doing it! Stay calm, add in some time to relax, and make sure you take care of yourself. You will be no good to anyone if you aren’t healthy, alert and calm.
This time of year can get you down… take some action now to prevent the stress, and enjoy!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Focus
“Like sheep that get lost nibbling away at the grass because they never look up, we often focus so much on ourselves and our problems that we get lost. “ ~~Allen Klein
Focus can be a double-edged sword. I write every week about the importance of focus. Focusing on your goals, on your direction, on the task at hand, on choosing a positive attitude… but what happens when you focus so much on the wrong thing that you become paralyzed? I was speaking with a colleague yesterday about time management, and she offered this tip, “If you have multiple tasks to do in one day, do the one that you want to do least, first. If you procrastinate about that one all day, you actually won’t accomplish anything, because you’re too focused on not wanting to do anything.” Brilliant! She didn’t actually take credit for the thought, but said it was the best tip she ever heard regarding time management, and I thought it was completely appropriate to share here today. Focus is key, as long as you are focusing on the right things, and not burying your head so far in the sand that you can only focus on the sand… It’s ok to check out now and again, regroup, and then refocus.
Focus can be a double-edged sword. I write every week about the importance of focus. Focusing on your goals, on your direction, on the task at hand, on choosing a positive attitude… but what happens when you focus so much on the wrong thing that you become paralyzed? I was speaking with a colleague yesterday about time management, and she offered this tip, “If you have multiple tasks to do in one day, do the one that you want to do least, first. If you procrastinate about that one all day, you actually won’t accomplish anything, because you’re too focused on not wanting to do anything.” Brilliant! She didn’t actually take credit for the thought, but said it was the best tip she ever heard regarding time management, and I thought it was completely appropriate to share here today. Focus is key, as long as you are focusing on the right things, and not burying your head so far in the sand that you can only focus on the sand… It’s ok to check out now and again, regroup, and then refocus.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Tuesday: Focus
“The key is not to prioritize your schedule but to schedule your priorities.” ~ Stephen R. Covey
Everything seems like a Priority One when you’re under stress and pressure. So, let them be. I have always struggled with figuring out what to do first when I have competing priorities. But what I’m starting to come to terms with, is that “first things first” doesn’t always work. Of course it does sometimes… I’m not going to post my blog until I write it. I’m not going to send a business letter out until I research. But it’s not always that cut and dry. So, instead I’m working on scheduling my priorities. From 9 – 10, I’ll do THIS; from 10 – 11, I’ll do THIS, etc. So far, it’s working! Do you know which priorities you’ll focus on today?
Everything seems like a Priority One when you’re under stress and pressure. So, let them be. I have always struggled with figuring out what to do first when I have competing priorities. But what I’m starting to come to terms with, is that “first things first” doesn’t always work. Of course it does sometimes… I’m not going to post my blog until I write it. I’m not going to send a business letter out until I research. But it’s not always that cut and dry. So, instead I’m working on scheduling my priorities. From 9 – 10, I’ll do THIS; from 10 – 11, I’ll do THIS, etc. So far, it’s working! Do you know which priorities you’ll focus on today?
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