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Time Management
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I Don’t Have Time!
Have you ever thought to yourself,“But I don’t have time to
set goals! I’m too busy working!”
It’s probably true that taking the time to set goals now will cut into
the time you’ve reserved for other activities. But in the long run, it’s
one of the most effective time-saving strategies you can pursue.
It simply isn’t possible to maximize the use of your time if you don’t
have a clear idea of what you’re trying to accomplish—both short
term and long term. Carving out a small amount of time each week to
devote to reviewing your goals can work wonders for providing the
focus you need to allocate your time productively.
yet realistic. Cycles of success mark achievers’ lives.
When such people fail, it isn’t from a lack of planning or
effort. Dreamers, on the other hand, set unreachable
goals. They ride a rollercoaster of ups and downs, some-
times never making it to the top of the first hill.
• Measurable. Imagine a football game with no yard lines,
end zones, goal posts, scoreboard, clock, or even clear-cut
teams—just a bunch of players whose goal is to pass a
football, run around, and collide. It might be fun to watch
for a while, but not for long. The chaos would soon drive
the fans out of the stadium. Shortly thereafter, the players,
unmotivated and confused, would wander off the field.
To work without clear-cut, measurable goals is, in

Measuring Your Goals
“Measuring” implies “quantifying.” But some or most of your
goals are somewhat abstract, like “spend quality time with my
family” or “prepare presentation for the Acme project.” How can you
“measure”—or “quantify”—such amorphous goals?
Easy.Translate them into numbers. Most of the things we do in life
can be thought of in terms of time or money or both.You can usually
place a dollar value or a time value on any goal. For example, getting
specific on how much quality time you want to spend with your family
will allow you to measure your success. Setting the dollar amount that
you want the Acme project to realize will help you to assess, in retro-
spect, how well you prepared that presentation.