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Time Management: Setting Objectives
Year 13 Supported Progressionsupported.progression@durham.ac.uk
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You will need:
START!
∂START AT THE END!
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Before we begin…..
{ }What do you want to achieve by the end of this year?
…think about the end!
{ }What do you want to achieve by the end of this month?
{ }What do you want to achieve by the end of this week?
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Before we begin…..
{ }What do you want to achieve by the end of this year?
…think about the end!
{ }What do you want to achieve by the end of this month?
{ }What do you want to achieve by the end of this week?~ Spend 3 minutes writing down your answers ~
Your answers to these questions are your ‘aims’ or ‘goals’
Q. How are you going to achieve these aims?
A. Set objectives!
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[ ][ ]
DEFINITIONS:
Aim:Something that you want to achieve.
Objective:Something you have to do to achieve your aims.
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Setting objectives helps
you
break
down
BIG goals
into
smaller
more manageable
bite-sized
chunks
How do you eat an elephant?
…one bite at a time!
∂
Turn dreams into targets and deadlines
Clarify and break down what has to be done
Be able to assess progress
Why set objectives?
Complete tasks on time
Feel satisfied and motivated when you meet your targets!
Make progress
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Make sure your goals are
SMART
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Specific:
Measurable:
Agreed:
Realistic:
Time-bound:
are your objectives well-defined?
how will you know when you’ve achieved them?
have you agreed your objectives with your stakeholders (e.g. teachers, parents, friends)?
can you achieve your objectives with the resources available to you (e.g. time, money, materials)?
what deadlines do you need to work to?
S
M
A
T
R
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• Break down tasks into smaller chunks
• Use strong/clear action verbs
Specific objectives
“Specific means that the objective is concrete, detailed, focused and well defined. Specific means that it’s results and action-orientated.”http://www.thepracticeofleadership.net/2006/03/11/setting-smart-objectives/
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Example of a Specific objective
“I don’t want to fail my coursework essay”
• This objective is vague and de-motivating
• Tip: use positive language
Example 1:
Example 2: “I will achieve at least a B grade in my coursework essay”
• This objective is more precise and positive
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Measurable objectives
If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it!
If your objectives are evidence-based and measurable...
…you can monitor your progress…
…and you will know when you have met your objectives.
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Example of a Measurable objective
“I will walk to school more often, rather than taking the bus”
• This objective is difficult to measure
• Tip: quantify your objective
Example 1:
Example 2: “By the end of June, I will have walked to school three times per week, every week.”
• By making your objective measurable, you can quickly determine whether you are meeting / have met it.
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Agreed objectives
In many cases you will not be able to agree your objectives.
You may be given objectives that are non-negotiable. (for example, you might be required to submit work by a particular deadline)
But in some circumstances, you can negotiate and agree.
In circumstances where you can negotiate:
DON’T ignore the advice or needs of stakeholders (e.g. your teachers, family, carers, or friends)
DON’T allow stakeholders to set your objectives
DO discuss the situation, listen to other people’s views, negotiate, and agree on your objectives
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Example of an Agreed objective
“I will write my coursework essay on the importance of pig farming in Europe.”
• This would be an agreed objective only if your teacher agreed that it was an appropriate topic for your essay.
• However, if your teacher thinks that the topic is too large, and advises you to concentrate on (for example) the importance of pig farming in Yorkshire in the 1900s, and you do NOT take on board their advice, then this is NOT an agreed objective.
Example:
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Realistic objectives
“realistic does not mean easy. Realistic means that you have the resources to get it done.”http://www.thepracticeofleadership.net/2006/03/11/setting-smart-objectives/
Realistic
Challenging
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Example of a Realistic objective
“I will organise a bike race.”
…without bicycles, cyclists and a route, your objective is NOT realistic
Example:
OK…
BUT…
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Time-bound objectives
[ ]Parkinson’s Law:
Tasks expand to fill the time available.
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Time-bound objectives
[ ]Parkinson’s Law:
Tasks expand to fill the time available.
So, remain in control of your time:
• set realistic timescales
• keep to deadlines
• review your progress against the deadlines
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Example of a Time-bound objective
“I will read ‘The Divine Comedy’ in 1 week.”
Example:
• It is important to set deadlines, but is this deadline achievable?
• You might want or need to the read the book in this short period, but does this deadline give you enough time to read the whole book?
• Do you have longer than 1 week available to you? If so, extend your deadline.
• Consider ‘chunking’: perhaps you could aim to read the first part of the book in 1 week?
Tip! Avoid the common mistake of underestimating how much time it will take for you to achieve your objective.
∂[ ]Look back at the goals that you wrote down at the start of this session
Are your goals SMART?Choose one of the goals and re-write it so that it is
Specific, Measurable, Agreed, Realistic, and Time-bound*
* You might like to write your goal on a post-it note and stick it on your mirror or wall so that you remember what you are working towards!
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Summary
Setting objectives is essential for managing your time most effectively.
By breaking down a task into smaller objectives, the task becomes much easier to achieve…
…(like eating an elephant one bite at a time!)
SMART helps you set objectives that you can achieve with the time and
resources available to you
∂[ ]Think about the week ahead…Set some goals…
One thing you will stop doing
One thing you will consider doing
One thing you will start doing
Are your goals SMART?
Spend 2 minutes writing down your goals.
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Step 3:
Consider the range of tools and strategies for making the best use of your time
In the next session …
Now you know what you want to achieve…
… but how do you go about achieving it?
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