As we head towards the end of the year, most of us choose one path or the other:

1. Start to wind down and reduce our focus on tasks, or
2. Look towards next year and start planning for the year ahead.

This week I’ve been involved in planning for the year ahead with one of my clients.

We’ve been following a methodology which I thought I’d share with you.

You’ve most likely heard of Steven Covey’s “big rocks” analogy where he takes a container and fills it with small rocks and sand and then hasn’t got enough room for the big rocks vs filling the container with big rocks and filling up the gaps with smaller rocks and sand and water. The analogy being that the rocks are the most important tasks to be completed, in order to achieve a goal.

This methodology incorporates that analogy.

Start with the goal or outcome or end in mind. What is it that you want to achieve, by when?

Be very clear on this. Use the S.M.A.R.T. goal acronym to test the robustness of your goal, (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and to a Timeframe).

Then work out your Rocks, ie the tasks or milestones that need to be achieved by when.

Next, look to what Dr Fred Grosse calls “mooring lines” or another of my clients calls “pre-mortems”, where you identify the obstacles or things that could cause you not to achieve your goal.

Finally, identify solutions to mitigate the mooring lines. If you think about a post-mortem, investigators look to see what went wrong after the fact. With the mooring lines and pre-mortem, we are looking to see what could go wrong before the fact and prevent these as much as possible.

Here’s an example of a very common goal. Say you want to release some body weight.

Using the S.M.A.R.T. system:

Specific – release excess body weight

Measurable – 5kg

Attainable – yes

Realistic – yes

Timeframe – 3 months (depending on which dieting method you choose).

Rocks:

1. Clean out the cupboard. Remove all junk food and chocolates and biscuits.
2. Create a menu plan for your meals.
3. Buy the appropriate food.
4. Engage an accountability buddy, and so on.

Mooring Lines:

1. It’s coming up to Christmas and party time. There’s lots of temptation.
2. The accountability buddy doesn’t hold you accountable.

Solutions:

1. Plan for the parties. Eat before you go. Know what you can eat at the party.
2. Choose another accountability buddy, whom you trust to keep you on track.

Implement the plan. For some this is the hardest part. We plan, we mitigate the risks and then we just don’t put the plan into action.

Focus on the big rocks and follow the plan.

Let me know your goals, rocks, mooring lines and solutions.

What is it you want to achieve before the end of the year or for next year?

P.S. Invite your friends to get the Weekly Thoughts delivered directly to their inbox. Go to https://shirleydalton.com/weekly-thoughts.

Wowza, have the past two weeks been confronting for me.

I have been completing a time log for 10 out of 14 days.

The idea is to see where you are spending/investing/wasting your time in order to get more productive.

It’s not meant to be judgemental although I’ve gotten myself in such a tizzy judging my time entries.

I’ve also noticed the difference between the personality types as I’ve listened to some of my colleagues talking about productivity versus self-care.

My “Driver” colleagues go “push push push”. More productivity. More Tasks. Get more done. Pay someone to do a lesser costing job so you can do tasks that add more value.

My “Counsellor” colleagues say “rest rest rest”. Look after yourself. Be kind to yourself. Nurture yourself. You’ll burn out if you don’t.

In my opinion, both have merit.  We do need to “drive” ourselves and push to get things done and we also need to look after ourselves.

It’s been interesting for me to see my reaction when I log time with Ross to sit and talk (which happens to be my Love Language – Quality Time & Conversation) and enjoy dinner with him or sitting together on the lounge of an evening and the feelings of guilt, frustration and fear that surface, in anticipation that someone will analyse my time log and judge me to be wasting time.

Wowza!

I have identified some areas I could improve my productivity however the biggest aha for me has been the realisation that I am still fearful of other’s judgement (so I judge myself first).

How do you think you’d go if you committed to documenting your time from the time you wake to the time you go to sleep at 15 minute intervals for 2 solid weeks?

If you’re keen to do it, you can either record the times and the activities on paper or digital thingy or you can determine the categories and record the category entry in a spreadsheet that has 7 days of columns and 15 minute intervals for rows. 

My time log finishes on the weekend. I’ll let you know what further insights I have next week.  Let me know how you go if you decide to do it.

Where do you sit on the Push Push Push Rest Rest Rest continuum?

P.S. Invite your friends to get the Weekly Thoughts delivered directly to their inbox. Go to https://shirleydalton.com/weekly-thoughts.