Evaluation Power-3 Tips for Using Your Experience to Find Time

Evaluation TipsEvaluation is a powerful tool that is too often neglected – especially when we are busy and overwhelmed.  Yet that is precisely when we can benefit the most from the power of evaluation.

That’s because evaluating where you’ve been enables you to see the successes … and the pitfalls …  so you can move forward with more clarity.

Evaluation Power-Why?

Many of us set New Year’s resolutions. It could be losing weight. It could be more exercise. It could be learning a new language. Certainly, these are all worthwhile. Did you make resolutions for yourself last month?

How are you doing with them now?

That’s not meant to be a depressing question – but it’s a very real one for most of us!

In beginning a New Year, it’s very helpful to take advantage of the valuable lessons that the previous year offered. And now that we’re a month into 2014, it’s a great time to look at your current resolutions and see what lessons the past year can give you about them!

So think back to 2013 for a moment.  Where did your efforts meet with success and where did they not?

Most of the information you need is easily accessible and this needn’t take a lot of your time.  Briefly list some major events from 2013 and also recall any big personal goals you had set for yourself. Also make note of periods of time when you felt overwhelmed by all you had to do, and list new skills that you learned or new areas that you explored.

The intent of this review is to learn how to overcome the difficulties you encountered last year when making choices around time. This serves as a valuable road map right now, as you look at where you are with your plans and resolutions for 2014!  Assessing which activities, situations or seasons proved difficult when managing your time in 2013 provides a framework for exploring three important time considerations as you move ahead now:

Evaluation Power: 3 Time Tips

1. Where did you underestimate the amount of time you needed last year to accomplish what you set out to do? As you identify these situations, you will be creating a guide to realign your time estimates for achieving this year’s objectives. Each lesson you apply reduces your chance of becoming overwhelmed – so don’t hesitate to make adjustments now!

2. Another great lesson is to look at those situations and responsibilities you agreed to that suddenly left you completely over-committed. Examine these areas to uncover important patterns. For example, do you consistently say “Yes” when people ask you to do something, without looking at what you have on your plate? In what situations last year did you find it difficult to say “No” and stick to it?

Why did you have trouble saying “No”? Keep these insights in mind as you project into 2014. This will enable you to set some time boundaries and make wiser time choices so you don’t repeat the pitfalls you encountered in 2013.

3. Looking back at the different seasons of 2013 alerts you to the special time requirements of holidays and special occasions. By understanding patterns of behavior and time choices that left you feeling pressured, you can reallocate your time in 2014 to ensure less stress during those special times – AND give you more energy for following through on your plans and resolutions!

Evaluation allows you to learn from your personal past and ensures time choices that build intelligently on one another and move you forward, toward the future you want for yourself!

Here’s to your time success …

Enhanced by Zemanta

Speak Your Mind

*