You want to achieve your mission. So, you get out of the office and take time to identify 5 key goals. Good. When you return to the office, you focus on achieving your goals all week. Good.
 
And then things head downhill:

• In week #2, you notice that you’re not quite as focused on your goals.
• In week #3, you have a crazy week where you can’t work on your goals.
• By week #4, you can’t remember 2 of your goals. Not good.

 
Question: What’s the problem?
 
Answer: You didn’t document your goals.
 
This means…

• You can’t easily review your goals.
• You can’t easily use your goals to schedule your next action steps.
• You can’t easily find out what your goals are when you can’t remember them (something which happens to everyone).

Tip: Document your goals. Today.

If you want to get more done in less time at work, think about how you can manage yourself more effectively at work.

You’re working on a vital project. You need help. Which 3 of the following would you most likely do?

• Reflect on what you know.
• Talk with colleagues.
• Read books and magazines.
• Get coaching.
• Check the Internet.
• Get help from a consultant.
• Look at relevant files on your computer.

Have you identified the 3 things you’d most likely do? Good.
 
Question: What key option is missing in the above list?
 
Need some hints? It doesn’t cost money. It’s available 24/7. You can use it anywhere. It gets results.
 
Answer: Asking God for help. God knows everything and wants to help you. So, ask Him for help. Today.

Think of an activity you’re doing. Got one in mind? Good.
 
Question: Why are you doing that activity?
 
Tip: You need to be able to answer that question for each activity you’re involved in.
 
What should your answer include?

• An activity.
• The goal your activity addresses.
• How working on your goal helps you accomplish your mission.
•  

What does an answer look like?

• I’m updating my curriculum maps for Social Studies 8. I'm doing this because I want my students to experience a coherent curriculum. When my students experience a coherent curriculum, they learn more. And when they learn more, they get equipped to impact the world for Christ.
• I’m fixing a sticky door hinge so that students can get to their classes on time. When students get to their classes on time, they can learn more. And when they learn more, they get equipped to impact the world for Christ.

Bottom line: Clarify how your mission, goals, and daily activities are connected. Today.

Good news—God has a plan. He’s already at work. And He’s prepared ways for you to join Him in His work (Eph. 2.10). So, you have the opportunity to be part of God’s plan and work. You don’t have to go figure it all out by yourself or do it all by yourself.
 
Point: Join God in what He’s already doing.
 
3 questions:

1. How clear are you on what God is already doing?
2. How clear are you on how God wants you to join Him in His work?
3. How willing are you to join God in what He’s already doing?

Tip: If you need increased clarity on what God is already doing:

• Pray daily for a minimum of 2 weeks.
• Read God’s Word daily.
• Seek wisdom from 5 of God’s people.

Remember: Join God in what He is already doing. Today.

If you want to get your goals done, pay attention to them.

By focusing, working smart, and pursuing excellence. To get an idea of how you can manage yourself more effectively, take the following assessment (download). Write the number in the blank that comes closest to representing how true a given statement is for you right now. Use the following scale:

4: Consistently • 3: Usually • 2: Sort of • 1: Rarely

Focus
___ I focus on joining God in what he is already doing.
___ I focus on doing right things, before I focus on doing things right.
___ I focus on my God-given mission.
___ I have defined my mission in terms of SMART goals.
___ I understand how my mission, goals, and daily activities are connected. Read More...

Make sure you schedule time for your key priorities before you schedule time for other things.

What frustrates you? What has frustrated me includes not having proper travel gear, not having necessary software, and unclear job expectations.
 
Notice, I listed what has frustrated me, not what frustrates me. Read More...

Imagine you’re a basketball coach. You have a player who scores 27 points per game, shoots 46% from the 3-point line, and gets 14 rebounds per game. You’re pleased with his performance.
 
But you’re puzzled. Read More...

Want to increase your effectiveness? Do right things, then do things right.

You’re at the end of a hectic week, the kind where you can hardly remember what happened. You’re sitting at your desk, doing some reflection. You’re noticing that you’ve accomplished some goals (building your network list and preparing a message) and that you haven’t accomplished some other goals (developing a debriefing tool and a conflict resolution workshop). You wonder why some goals get done, while others don’t. Read More...

You’ve documented your goal: To develop a community of practice for Christian school curriculum coordinators.
 
You did a careful study of the current situation, considered options for moving forward, and documented your goal. That’s good. Now you’re ready to start. Read More...

You’re pursuing God’s calling. Good. Three weeks ago, you developed a list 5 goals that are part of pursuing God’s calling:

1. Pray more.
2. Make spouse happy.
3. Answer email immediately.
4. Coach students.
5. Provide training for Christian schools.

Now, you’re seated at your desk, reflecting on your goals. Read More...

You have a plan. Before you start working, try to get the resources specified in the plan. Read More...

A good way to get organized is to do the behaviors that organized people do. Here are 3. Read More...

You’ve gotten away for a bit and identified some key priorities, including spending more time with family, regularly getting exercise, and getting coaching each week.

But when you come back, you hit reality. Read More...

Knowing where you are and where you want to go helps you make effective decisions.

You’re at the train station. You need to buy a ticket. How much should you spend? That depends on where you are and where you want to go. Read More...

God calls us to manage ourselves within the time He gives us, not to manage time.

You’re focusing on working smart, not hard. And you want to move forward on this. Good.

What can you do? Define your goals. How? By making your goals SMART. Read More...

Want to work smart? Think big. To get an idea of how you can think big, take the following self-assessment. Read More...

Imagine: You have arrived safely and on time—which is important because your wife, who is in the car, is in labor. You both wore seatbelts. You drove the speed limit and obeyed the traffic lights. You feel good—until you realize you are at the wrong hospital. Read More...

I don’t try to manage certain things. I don’t try to manage gravity. I don’t try to manage the revolution of the planets around the sun or the rotation of the earth on its axis. And I don’t try to manage sunrise or sunset. Read More...

You: A couple of months ago, I made a real commitment to getting better results in my personal life and in my ministry. Me: What’s happened since you made your commitment? Read More...