A self-management checklist
Everybody faces challenges in managing certain aspects of their lives. Someone who loves to go trail riding on a bicycle will have no problems motivating themselves to exercise. However, putting aside time to sit and read might be problematic. On the other hand, the reader might have problems putting down the book and getting active.
This self-management checklist can be applied to any area of your life where you need to gain some control.
- Set specific goals. You can’t measure achievement if you don’t know where you’re going. Set specific goals such as: I’ll walk for 30 minutes per day; or I’ll write a 1,000 words each day; or I’ll lose 20 pounds.
- Set specific times. You need to determine when you are going to accomplish your goals. Work with specific times; whether it’s a deadline for a one-off project or regular times for on-going behaviour.
- Track your progress. Write it down. You can use a journal, a calendar, a graph or any other form that works for you. Make sure you track both your successes and failures so you can refine your systems.
- Set rewards or penalties. You’ll need some motivation to help you move forward. Set small rewards to mark the completion of small steps. Set larger rewards to mark major accomplishments. You might even set penalties for not reaching goals. You could, for example, make a donation to a food bank every time your weight went up instead of down.
- Take small steps. If you’ve been sitting in front of the TV for ten years, don’t try and run a marathon tomorrow. Changing a habit takes time and you need to start slowly.
- Break it down into pieces. Regardless of your readiness, if the task seems overwhelming, you may never get started. Break down large tasks in to small, logical and manageable pieces.
- Monitor time increments. Use a timer to help you stay on track. Set it to the best interval to help you measure your progress.
- Share your goals. Telling someone what you hope to accomplish can add another level of motivation. It’s easier to fool ourselves than to fool others. Tell someone what your goals and your deadlines are; get them to check on you to see if you met the goal.
- Have a work buddy. It’s not just enough to share your goals with someone, you need to have a buddy that can meet with regularly. Keep your goals on someone else’s agenda. This should give you an added sense of responsibility and motivation to reach your goals.
- Review with your buddy. Have your buddy do more than review accomplishment. Review the written track of your regular progress. They might spot patterns you don’t see and give you some help for getting back or keeping on track.
- Eliminate distractions. Reading through e-mail may seem productive, but it’s not going to help you read three chapters of a book. If need be, turn off the phone, shut down the computer and throw the television in the garbage.
- Review and rework your system. Your self-management plan may not work the first time you try it. There will be times when your self-management process falls apart. These steps are not static, but need to change and grow with you. Make time to review your process and see what changes can be made.
Some people look at self-management techniques as cumbersome, getting in the way of productivity. The truth is, if you look at successful and productive people, you’ll find some type of system guiding them. Give it a try.
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Comments
Hmm… donating to a charity is considered a penalty/undesirable?
If someone considers this true then there are bigger personal issues than self-management.
H.A., I think you’re misinterpreting what he wrote. I can’t blame you, since this article, while an alright outline, doesn’t contain much detail.
People on limited budgets sometimes set aside an amount every month for luxuries and fun. I think the tacit statement here is that, instead of using that money for yourself, donate it.
Now, this sounds like a selfish way to operate, but the entire article is about how people actually work, not how they _wish_ they worked.
Then again, if you’re a giving person, you could punish yourself by spending all your monthly donation money on arcade games.
Ignoring the interpretation blathering for a second, what I really want to say is: Get off your high horse and give the article the benefit of the doubt.
I like the article, but I think the whole life management obsession thing, is for people that require a lot of structure. Might think of joining the military.
In “reality” our goals change almost moment by moment. These types of formulas assume you have some control over when, where, and how you do things.
Being able to adapt to changing goals, priorities, and environments is an essential trait for professional and personal success.
How do you think outside the box, when you have spent all this effort putting yourself in one?
Use your brain, THINK, and figure out what is most important at any given point in time. WORK on that and you may finish it, or your priorities may change before you do. Be HAPPY with what you accomplish, finished or not.
-Chris
Hi,
very structured and informative points, I am trainer by profession and will be able to make use of these ( with yr due permission, ofcourse) .
cheers,
Umesh
Trackbacks
- 15 Point Self-Management Checklist - lifehack.org
- Steve Miller’s Web Sites of Interest » links for 2007-06-07
- The Poulette Family » links for 2007-06-07
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- Weight Management Checklist | Blog | Simpleweight.com
Hi Ian,
The above article is very good.
I will try to implement it and definetly give
the response.