While holding up a pair of typical glasses, ask, “Overall, what do you use glasses for?” Obviously, they help the vision impaired see their best or they improve one’s focus so one can see as clearly as their ability allows. So is it when all parties focus on pre-established goals after appropriate steps are taken to set goals. Goals directly shape what the entire unit does and says so the jointly coordinate and agree upon the outcomes needed to accomplish the goals.

Though not exhaustive, here are some tips for goal setting are:

1. SET ASIDE TIME TO SAVE YOUR TIME AND RESOURCES: Take 15 minutes each morning to make your game plan for the day. Be systematic to save your time and energy. Similarly, the pair…
…of glasses we brought needs to be maintained assuring the screws are tight and lenses are clean every day.
2. SET SPECIFIC GOALS: Just as with the glasses, specific grinding by the optician is needed so is the need to make long and short-term goals whether at work, school or home. If you want to achieve certain goals, give yourself time to achieve them but stay on task. Be realistic in time allotment and set bench marks to measure your progress. The only way to achieve a goal is acting on it. To delay is to fail to achieve so spend time on achieving the goals but pace yourself to avoid burn-out.
3. USE A PRIORITIZED “TO DO LIST: A PRIORITIZED TO DO LIST is the mechanical device that drives your time and energy while on the way to your bench mark and goals of the day, week or project. A calendar (electronic or paper) and the list used together will save resources. Prioritize by doing first things first.
3. DO NOT PROCRASTINATE, STAY FOCUSED BUT AVOID BEING A PERFECTIONIST: You always have to put your glasses on to see well just as procrastination puts us out of focus. Why put something off till tomorrow if you can get it done today. Procrastination is nothing but a big black hole that sucks up resource resulting in increased stress and lost time that you could have used to work on something else. If you watch TV, listen to the radio or cruise the cloud while working, your attention is divided and you lose the battle for time efficiency. Strive for excellence but don’t get hung up on needing to be perfect since it will drain time and not be able to be achieved all the time anyway. Forgive yourself and move on.
4. BE FLEXIBLE BUT START WHAT YOU NEED TO THEN FINISH IT: Break your tasks into manageable, attainable pieces and remember you time is valuable so don’t waste it even though you should be flexible.
5. DON’T LET THE IMPORTANT BLOCK THE ESSENTIAL TASKS: I had a poster hanging in my office which said, “Good, better, best never let it rest. Make your good better, make your better best” I remember it to this day and I have remembered to strive for excellence in all I do. Another saying is, “If it is worth doing, it is worth doing right” but I say if it is worth doing it is worthy of your maximum ability, attitude, energy and skill. Your reputation and legacy is built one word and action at a time and you will be rewarded with the honor and respect you deserve.
6. MULTI-TASK BUT DON’T DOUBLE TASK: Multi-tasking is when you use your time to complete two non-competing tasks. Double tasking is divided energy on competing tasks. An example is letting the printer print as you work on another project that is non-competing for time or running a backup while working on another computer project. Double tasking is trying to talk on the phone while typing an article. Both require the same brain drain so if you try to do both, you will miss something along the way. Imagine trying to look through two pair of glasses at the same time! This is similar to double tasking since your vision is divided.
7. REWARD YOUR PROGRESS AND CELEBRATE SUCCESS! Don’t have to be super sized but celebrate success.

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