Time Management Assessment

May 16, 2022 · View on GitHub

Time Management Assessment

Key Points

SMART is a well-established tool that you can use to plan and achieve your goals.
While there are a number of interpretations of the acronym's meaning, the most common one is that goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

When you use SMART, you can create clear, attainable and meaningful goals, and develop the motivation, action plan, and support needed to achieve them.

  • Specific:
    • Your goals should be specific to you and clear to understand.
  • Measurable:
    • Think about how you will measure your goals and which measurements you will use.
  • Achievable:
    • It important to make sure your goals are attainable so make sure that you set achievable goals.
  • Realistic:
    • Are your goals realistic for you?
  • Time:
    • Setting timeframes for goals will help to keep you motivated. Using short, medium, and long-term goals can be beneficial to keep you on track.

How to write SMART goals

  • S: Specific Well defined, clear, and unambiguous
  • M: Measurable With specific criteria that measure your progress toward the accomplishment of the goal
  • A: Actionable Attainable and not impossible to achieve
  • R: Relevant Within reach, realistic, and relevant to your life purpose
  • T: Time Bound With a clearly defined timeline, including a starting date and a target date. The purpose is to create urgency.

[S]: Specific

Specific (simple, sensible, significant).

Your goal should be clear and specific, otherwise you won't be able to focus your efforts or feel truly motivated to achieve it.

  • In order for a goal to be effective, it needs to be specific. A specific goal answers questions like:

    • What needs to be accomplished?
    • Who’s responsible for it?
    • What steps need to be taken to achieve it?

  • When drafting your goal, try to answer the five "W" questions:

    • What do I want to accomplish?
    • Why is this goal important?
    • Who is involved?
    • Where is it located?
    • Which resources or limits are involved?

  • Short term (4-6 weeks).

    • • Increase daily steps to 6000-7000.
    • • Complete 1x ExHALE cardiovascular and strength and balance video per week.

  • Medium (6 months):

    • • Increase daily step to 8000-9000.
    • • Increase flexibility by attending 1x yoga class per week.

  • Long term (1 year):

    • • Complete a walking event with friends.
    • • Continue with increased step, online and in person classes.

[M]: Measurable

Measurable (meaningful, motivating).

It's important to have measurable goals, so that you can track your progress and stay motivated. Assessing progress helps you to stay focused, meet your deadlines, and feel the excitement of getting closer to achieving your goal.

  • A measurable goal should address questions such as:
    • How Many/Much?
    • How will I know when it is Accomplished?
    • What is my Indicator of Progress?

[A]: Achievable

Achievable (agreed, attainable).

Your goal also needs to be realistic and attainable to be successful. In other words, it should stretch your abilities but still remain possible.
When you set an achievable goal, you may be able to identify previously overlooked opportunities or resources that can bring you closer to it.

  • An achievable goal will usually answer questions such as:
    • How can I accomplish this goal?
    • How realistic is the goal, based on other constraints, such as financial factors?
    • QUESTION: Do I have the resources and capabilities to achieve the goal? If not, what am I missing?

[R]: Relevant

Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based).

This step is about ensuring that your goal matters to you, and that it also aligns with other relevant goals. We all need support and assistance in achieving our goals, but it's important to retain control over them.
So, make sure that your plans drive everyone forward, but that you're still responsible for achieving your own goal.

Realistic SMART Goals A SMART goal must be realistic in that the goal can be realistically achieved given the available resources and time. A SMART goal is likely realistic if

  • you believe that it can be accomplished. Ask yourself:

    • Is the goal realistic and within reach?
    • Is the goal reachable, given the time and resources?
    • Are you able to commit to achieving the goal?

  • A relevant goal can answer "yes" to these questions:

    • Does this seem worthwhile?
    • Is this the right time?
    • Does this match our other efforts/needs?
    • Am I the right person to reach this goal?
    • Is it applicable in the current socio-economic environment?

[T]: Time bound

Time bound (time-based, time limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive).

Every goal needs a target date, so that you have a deadline to focus on and something to work toward.
This part of the SMART goal criteria helps to prevent everyday tasks from taking priority over your longer-term goals.

  • A time-bound goal will usually answer these questions:
    • When?
    • What can I do six months from now?
    • What can I do six weeks from now?
    • What can I do today?
  • Some tasks:
    • Must be delegated
    • Should be delegated
    • Could be delegated
    • Can’t be delegated