It is widely assumed that you should have clear goals for each semester (or quarter), as well as clear weekly outcomes goals. Is this true? How well do outcome goals help?
Today, I want you to consider the impact that semester plans and goals have had on your work and life. Do fifteen minutes of reflective writing about how goals have helped or hindered your work and life.
Today, I want you to consider the impact that semester plans and goals have had on your work and life. Do fifteen minutes of reflective writing about how goals have helped or hindered your work and life.
Here are some questions if you need some prompts. Have your goals been helpful? Do they make you more productive, or do they lead to guilt and shame that keep you stuck? Do you have a clear sense of how long tasks really take? What would it be like if you just worked on your processes, and let go of outcome goal setting?
Goals are really important for me, otherwise I use up all my time on things that are urgent but, ultimately, may not be the most important ones for me. If I identify my goals, and keep reminding myself of what they are and why they are important, it makes it easier for me to make decisions about how I use my time, what I accept, and so on.
ReplyDeleteI set out goals for each academic year and, then, for each month. I will sometimes have weekly goals, but not necessarily.
Then, at the end of the month, I review my progress and reflect on my performance - why I did so well on a particular month or, more often, why I did not meet my goals. This reflective part is very important. It helps me identify what I can change (e.g., where I loose time, what drains my energy, when I am most productive...). It also helps me identify what I can not change and, therefore, what I need to incorporate in my planning and goal setting.