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Time Wasters vs. Planning… Ding Ding – Round One!

  • By Andrea Schlapia
  • |
  • October 22, 2009

Businessman carrying a hourglass - isolatedI’ve been thinking about all the time I’ve personally wasted… and it really adds up to a ton of time!

To often we get stuck in our own mind and it become analysis paralysis OR there are just so many things to do were do you start!  – Emails, phone calls, oh don’t forget lunch with Bob at 11am and then another lunch with Stephanie at 2pm, then there is Sarah’s basketball game tonight and Tommy has a project due tomorrow.

Sound familiar?

Well listen up, it’s less than 90-days unti

l we start all over again and have yet another chance to redeem any “less than stellar” choices made in 2009.

Take a deep breath…. in with the good, out with the bad… again…

Let’s review what a SMART goal is and slow down to do some planning.  I know what you’re thinking, “I don’t have time for planning, let alone stick to the plan.”

Well, if you want the same results that you’ve always gotten, STOP READING NOW!  No really STOP!

With a little purposefully planning you will have more control over your time and life than just watching it fly by on a daily basis with no results.  This isn’t rocket science and yet it something that to often we get away from doing and become frustrated with our lack of re

sults.  So here is what’s so smart about SMART…

The more SPECIFIC we are in making our goals the easier it will be to MEASURE the results.  Yet are they ATTAINABLE or have we set them so high that they are not even REALISTIC to achieve.  No to mention, what kind of TIMEFRAME have we allowed ourselves to achieve the goal – perfection does not happen overnight.  This is a process, not a single event.

I like to use the example of losing weight since everyone can relate to this…  If I say, I want to lose weight is that specific?  Not even close… how much weight is specific to your goal… 10 pounds

Okay, so how do you measure this?  Clothing, how you feel, how you look…  I look great naked in the mirror (okay, maybe that was too much information but you get the point)

Now, is 10 pounds attainable?  Well, for me it is but maybe not my friend Missy.  If this is an individual goal it’s simple to answer this question.  If this is a team goal, the “attainable” must be achievable by the “weakest link”… yes, everyone has to be able to reach this so you may need to adjust the “specific” in order for this to happen.

Okay, we’re almost done…

Is it realistic to lose 10 pounds in 2 days?  Well, unless you lose a limb or shave something I think not.  With that said, 10 pounds is realistic to lose within what timeframe?  4 weeks, 5 weeks… only you can determine this.

Remember – be SMART about planning 2010 and don’t let those time wasters suck the life out of your day.

Ding, Ding – Time Wasters takes the TKO!

winner

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Author Bio

Andrea Schlapia, RCC™, HCS, sHRBP, is the Founder and CEO of Ironstone, which represents the culmination of her 20+ year career within the financial services industry. Her experience began as a financial advisor evolving into a consultant coach for advisors entering the field. This ignited her passion to support others through learning and development of best practices in order to achieve substantial results. To this end, she followed her desire into positions of senior-level practice management specialists for Dreyfus, Prudential, and DWS Investments prior to the realization of Ironstone.  Andrea’s focus is on practice management strategies to enhance and improve both business and personal life. Andrea identifies 4 key performance areas known as the Fundamental 4™, which are required to design, develop, and sustain a successful business. Through coaching sessions and speaking engagements, she captivates her audience with interactive, high-energy presentations which are built with “how-to” strategies resulting in real-world implementation for significant impact. Andrea has been featured in multiple publications and audio broadcasts as a specialist and distinguished spokeswoman in the financial industry.

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