Time Management/Goal Setting Principles

[1]“I am personally persuaded that the essence of the best thinking in the area of time management can be captured in a single phrase: Organize and execute around priorities.”
(Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly-Effective People, Habit 3 Put First Things First: Principles of Personal Management)
[2]“In the area of time management, . . . The first [level] . . . could be characterized by
notes and checklists, an effort to give some semblance of recognition and inclusiveness to the many demands placed on our time and energy.
The second [level] could be characterized by calendars and appointment books. This wave reflects an attempt to look ahead, to schedule events and activities in the future.
The third [level] reflects . . . the important idea of prioritization, of clarifying values, and of comparing the relative worth of activities based on their relationship to those values. In addition, it focuses on setting goals --specificlong-, intermediate-, and short-term targets toward which time and energy would be directed in harmony with values. It also includes the concept of daily planning, of making a specific plan to
accomplish those goals and activities determined to be of greatest worth.”
(Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly-Effective People, Habit 3 Put First Things First: Principles of Personal Management)

[I took this assignment just as a brief overview of one example of how manage time, If you want to really reach a whole new plane of effective living, I recommend emphatically to at LEAST read the entire section on Habit 3 in Covey's book. The principle of Quadrant II changed my life. But just to get you started, Covey recommends that you make a personal mission statement about who you are and what is important to you. Based on those transcendent principles provides the context to everything you spend your time doing, especially time management and prioritization.]

So, we have here, in reverse order:
3. Prioritization of activities based on internal values and specific long, medium, and short-range goals
2. Calendaring and scheduling future activities
and 1. Notes and Checklists

So this is what I do:
3. Specific long, medium and short-range goals
Mission:
Long-term: To look back on my mission and say that I did the work with all my heart, might, mind, and strength.
Medium: Follow {each} admonition from Pres. Transfer/zone goals
Short-term: Companion goals: Teach 20 lessons this week
Shorter-term: Teach lesson 2 to Sergio today and leave a powerful, specific invitation to come to church on Sunday.

Life Now:
Long-term goals: Prepare myself to earn a living in a competitive world, become a charitable disciple of Christ, put myself in a position to find an eternal companion.
Medium: Get A's in my classes, pray for an opportunities to selflessly help someone-act on it-and analyze my motives for doing so, and go on a date per week.
Short term: Write this week's essay two days early and go over it with the professor before it's due, notice something admirable about someone and compliment them for it, go on a date THIS week.

2. Calendaring
Mission:
Beginning of transfer and week, I would put every appointment that we knew about in their time slot.
Try to put in the most promising activities in specific times. We knew when most likely a person would be at their house [huge map in each of my areas], emphasis on progressing investigators, references, assignments from the bishop.
Nightly reviewed the day and filled in any gaps for the next day.

Life Now:
Put in all my classes and [potential]events into PPC

Block out time for most important, specific goals. With reminders (e.g., on Tuesday afternoon it buzzes and reminds me that I need to ASK someone that day.). Also look at tasks.

1. Lists
Mission:
-Had a lists of “need to do”s that we could always do when we had time
-Sing in buses/trains, Fix bishop's computer, Volunteer at the local school/hospital, Establish relationships with members

Life Now:
In my tasks, I have a list of all other goals I am working on: updating my website, reading books/talks I want to read, brush up on my history, fix router, memorize scriptures, update study journal, honors thesis, make a movie. Look at list before playing the Wii—what is more important to me? Sometimes it's the Wii


[3]****M. Russell Ballard, Without goals, only a small portion of one's potential:
“I am so thoroughly convinced that if we don't set goals in our life and learn how to master the techniques of living to reach our goals, we can reach a ripe old age and look back on out life only to see that we reached but a small part of our full potential. When one learns to master the principles of setting a goal, he will then be able to make a great difference in the results he attains in this life.”
(Talk given to Salt Lake area young adults, October 18, 1981)

[4]****Joseph B. Wirthlin, Determine where you are and what you need to do to be the person you want
"I urge you to examine your life. Determine where you are and what you need to do to be the kind of person you want to be. Create inspiring, noble, and righteous goals that fire your imagination and create excitement in your heart. And then keep your eye on them. Work consistently towards achieving them."
(Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Life’s Lessons Learned,” Ensign, May 2007,  45–47)

[5]***Thomas S. Monson, Measured performance
“When performance is measured, performance improves. When performance is measured and reported, the rate of improvement accelerates.” (Improvement Era, Dec. 1970, 101)

Covey has developed a Quadrant II organizer meeting six criteria:
Coherence - integrates roles, goals, and priorities.
*Personal Mission Statement. Roles-Student, Goals-, Priorities-
Balance - keeps various roles before you so they're not neglected.
-Consider reviewing at the beginning and/or end of each day
Quadrant II Focus - Weekly - the key is not to prioritize what's in your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.
A People Dimension - think of efficiency when dealing with things, but effectiveness when dealing with people. The first person to consider in terms of effectiveness is yourself. Schedules are subordinated to people.
Flexibility - the organizer is your servant, not your master
Portability
[6]“The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”
(Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly-Effective People, Habit 3 Put First Things First: Principles of Personal Management)
I.e., this technique of goal setting, then calendaring, then making lists is only the arm of deeper principles that you should set for yourself

Other Quotes:
“Follow-up anticipates the need to occasionally modify and upgrade the original plan. The experience you gain as you move forward will often prompt you to make improvements. Follow-up includes a continual evaluation of progress against the original goal.
“One of the products of experience is a sixth sense of knowing when to act on a plan and when to adjust it. It is like jumping from rock to rock across a stream—after each successful leap, there is a reevaluation to determine if there is a better route.”
(Richard G. Scott, “Living the Gospel: The Key to Private, Family, and Professional Success,” Moral Foundations: Standing Firm in a World of Shifting Values, 13)

 “to reach a goal never before attained one must do things never before done.”
(Richard G. Scott, "To Learn and to Teach More Effectively," BYU Campus Education Week Devotional August 21, 2007)

“A righteous life requires discipline. Discipline is that characteristic which will give you the strength to avoid giving up what you want most in life for something you think you want now. It is a friend, not a harsh taskmaster that makes life miserable. Discipline is easier to acquire when it is rooted in faith in Jesus Christ, when it is nourished by an understanding of His teachings and plan of happiness. ”
(Richard G. Scott, “The Power of Righteousness,” Ensign, Nov 1998, 68)

“I think of another kind of tragedy we frequently see, that of persons of high aim and low achievement. Their motives are noble. Their proclaimed ambition is praiseworthy. Their capacity is great. But their discipline is weak. They succumb to indolence. Lack of effort robs them of will.”
(Gordon B. Hinckley, “And Peter Went Out and Wept Bitterly,” Tambuli, Aug 1994, 3)