You have a goal in your mind, but that’s all you have. Creating your vision, working towards it, and reaching your goal isn’t always easy. The journey is often different for everyone. However, there are three parts of achieving every goal that is always the same. Defining the 3 W’s of your goal will allow you to work towards it without losing sight of the bigger picture.
- What
What do you want? What is your goal? You need to be specific: I want to have better time management. I want to make better decisions. Explicitly, naming your goal and writing it out will give power to it and will allow you to mentally focus in on what you are trying to achieve. Clearly defined goals are easier to work towards. Writing out your target has the added benefit of making the goal “real,” as opposed to an undefined idea in your mind.
- When
When do you want to achieve your goal? What is your time scale? Once you have an overall time scale, you can dive into the milestones that you will need to achieve along the way and put time limits on those. Doing this will give you benchmarks on which you can measure your progress. Measuring your progress in smaller steps will also keep your spirits up when things get tough. You will be able to look back and say, “I’m halfway there.”
- Why
Why is this your goal? Why do you want to do it? Your why is your everything. Your reasoning should be specific and not something you will be easily swayed from. If you’re going to improve your time management merely for the glory, you may want to dig a little deeper. Improving your time management isn’t always straight forward, and when things don’t go to plan, it’s easy to give up and return to your normal way of working. Having a strong why will also come in handy when you lack external support. Having a reliable support system inside and outside of work makes achieving any goal easier, but sometimes you won’t have that backing.
You have your WHAT, your WHEN, and your WHY. Write down each of these and revisit the 3 W’s when times get tough. You should especially revisit your WHY daily. It will remind you why you started, why you are continuing, and what awaits you at the end of your long journey. Setting and achieving your goals can be challenging, but if plan to succeed, the process will be much smoother.
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