1 00:00:00,550 --> 00:00:03,470 Now, after you've identified some goals for yourself, it's 2 00:00:03,470 --> 00:00:05,555 important to focus on them one at a time. 3 00:00:05,555 --> 00:00:10,640 It doesn't mean you can't work on a bunch of goals concurrently, it does mean 4 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:14,740 that you should take the time to evaluate and make a plan for each one. 5 00:00:14,740 --> 00:00:17,175 And this requires some focused attention. 6 00:00:17,175 --> 00:00:18,720 [BLANK_AUDIO] 7 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:21,880 All too often, many of us identify a goal and 8 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:25,420 we rush into trying to accomplish it without making a plan. 9 00:00:25,420 --> 00:00:27,920 We wanna lose weight so we buy a bunch of healthy 10 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:31,380 food or we buy a workout device like a Fit Bit. 11 00:00:31,380 --> 00:00:35,100 But a week later, there's a bunch of uneaten, no longer fresh food in 12 00:00:35,100 --> 00:00:39,650 the fridge and the Fit Bit has been sitting on our desk, totally unused. 13 00:00:39,650 --> 00:00:42,146 Well even though our intentions were good, we acted 14 00:00:42,146 --> 00:00:45,650 without thinking, and now, we've lost time and resources. 15 00:00:46,660 --> 00:00:49,700 This could happen at work too, but instead of wasting our own personal 16 00:00:49,700 --> 00:00:55,180 resources, we might end up wasting other team members' time or company resources. 17 00:00:55,180 --> 00:00:56,630 We don't wanna do that. 18 00:00:56,630 --> 00:01:00,240 Making a plan means identifying specific tasks that you need 19 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:04,510 to do, to accomplish your goal, or complete your project. 20 00:01:04,510 --> 00:01:07,100 Instead of thinking only about the ultimate result, 21 00:01:07,100 --> 00:01:11,120 consider all the individual steps and moving parts. 22 00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:13,220 I want to write a blog post every day. 23 00:01:13,220 --> 00:01:15,210 I wanna volunteer more in my community. 24 00:01:15,210 --> 00:01:17,180 I wanna save money and buy a house. 25 00:01:17,180 --> 00:01:19,500 I mean, these are all wonderful goals, but what 26 00:01:19,500 --> 00:01:22,690 steps will you actually take to accomplish each one? 27 00:01:23,770 --> 00:01:26,640 A good place to start is to consider the classic 28 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:30,600 group of questions, who, what, where, when, why, and how. 29 00:01:31,940 --> 00:01:35,700 If we're going to evaluate a goal, and identify tasks, let's begin. 30 00:01:36,870 --> 00:01:41,380 The who, who is going to work on accomplishing this goal? 31 00:01:41,380 --> 00:01:43,530 And I assume that's you, but also make 32 00:01:43,530 --> 00:01:46,552 note of who else might have to be involved. 33 00:01:46,552 --> 00:01:49,190 Who you're going to be waiting for if you're part of a bigger 34 00:01:49,190 --> 00:01:54,450 process, or who you might have to ask for approval, or questions from. 35 00:01:54,450 --> 00:01:56,360 The what and the how. 36 00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:59,150 Identify what actually needs to be delivered, and 37 00:01:59,150 --> 00:02:01,400 then break down the steps leading up to it. 38 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:04,010 Do you have everything you need to get started, 39 00:02:04,010 --> 00:02:07,320 or will you need to acquire assets or materials? 40 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:10,350 Do you have the expertise to accomplish each step? 41 00:02:10,350 --> 00:02:13,480 What order will tasks need to be done in? 42 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:17,160 Without this step, you could end up focusing on the wrong tasks. 43 00:02:18,390 --> 00:02:20,160 The where and the when. 44 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:24,010 Where can you work on your task, and how much time will you need? 45 00:02:24,010 --> 00:02:26,750 What kind of deadline do you have, or milestones 46 00:02:26,750 --> 00:02:29,580 along the way, when you have to show progress? 47 00:02:29,580 --> 00:02:31,890 Without a deadline, there's no motivation to 48 00:02:31,890 --> 00:02:34,210 finish something within a certain amount of time. 49 00:02:35,700 --> 00:02:37,170 The Why. 50 00:02:37,170 --> 00:02:39,370 Hopefully, you've already considered whether your goal or 51 00:02:39,370 --> 00:02:43,110 project is important, but it's vital to ask again. 52 00:02:43,110 --> 00:02:44,890 Is this a priority? 53 00:02:44,890 --> 00:02:48,840 Will completing this goal be a positive thing, or are 54 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:51,680 there other goals or projects you should be doing first? 55 00:02:52,780 --> 00:02:55,890 By going through each question and identifying individual 56 00:02:55,890 --> 00:02:59,040 tasks, the scope of your project becomes clearer.