Organized Charm: NYNL Day 13: Create Time-Bound Goals

Today is the last day of the SMART goal setting template! Also, it is the last mini-challenge for WRITING our goals (AND we are finally moving on to some action). YAY!

Today, make sure that all of the goals that you’ve written are time-bound.

Basically, this:

Link each goal to a time frame.

Each goal needs a time frame, obviously. Do you want to have it done by next week? Month? Year? Write it down.

Create a practical sense of urgency.

So, what we are trying to do with all of these time frames and deadlines is to wake our brains up and tell them it’s time to get to work! When we have deadlines… we have motivation. And guess what? Motivation to start taking steps in the right direction is what we need right now!

Create tension between reality and the goal.

A few months ago, I wrote a post on productivity. One of the elements in that post was the Zeigarnik Effect. What the heck is THAT, you ask. It’s basically that annoying, nagging, stressful feeling that we get when we leave a project unfinished. And who wouldn’t want that? Actually… slackers probably wouldn’t. But you and I? We want to create that feeling because it means that we will finish the project we began! And finishing a project? Oh, that’s called completing a goal :)

Ask yourself:

When do you think you’ll be finished?

Is that date far enough away to actually complete this goal?

Is that date also close enough to make you want to get to work… like, now?

And… finished! Now our goals are all SMART and whatnot! :)