How to Live Intentionally and Set Work Goals to Have Your Best Year Yet
Two months ago, at the beginning of our company’s calendar year, I wrote a plan to make this the most intentional work year of my life.
Our team had affirmed our mission, vision, values, and strategy. And with the help of others, I identified the “work goals” that would lead me on the fastest path toward those aims. I also developed a “time budget” for how I’d allocate my time each day.
The process, so far, has been fascinating. Perhaps you can relate to what I’ve experienced — or maybe it will inspire you to think about how intentional you are at work.
The Method
Our team decided to set 90-day “sprint” goals rather than full-year goals. This flexibility is important since conditions can change in the business, and it’s psychologically easier to stay focused for 90 days versus 365. We developed performance goals (e.g., key activities accomplished or initiatives implemented) rather than outcome goals, because we have more control over performance. Those performance goals set short-term priorities, while the mission, vision, values, and strategy set longer term priorities, along with my own personal career aspirations.
All together, this produced a time budget for my work week, with 14 categories of time. Then I established a target number of hours to spend in each category each week. I’ve used a spreadsheet to track my time in 30-minute increments across these 14 categories.
And so, I set out to do whatever possible to hit my budgeted time targets.
11 Things I’ve Learned by Implementing a Time Allocation Budget
As Robert Burns famously said, “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” Circumstances, emergencies, the needs of others, and the way I’ve felt, have all factored into where I’ve spent my time. Having said that, the budget has been enormously helpful.
Here’s what I’ve learned so far…
- Choices become more intentional. I have always been careful with my time, but creating and maintaining a time budget and 90-day goals has made me a lot more focused. Throughout the day, I’m continually thinking, “Which time categories are falling behind budget? What do I need to do to align with my plan?” Just like in finances, budgets make you aware and intentional. Shocker.
- Plans drive behavior. Another shocker: Committing to this plan changed the way I approached each day. I’m much more vigilant about minimizing time wasters, and I’m more willing to take on the hard work that stretches my comfort zone. I used to do some of this, but often rationalized my way out of doing enough of it.
- Small deltas create big cumulatives. Several of the time categories have only missed budget by about an hour per week. That seems pretty close. But when viewed over two months, it’s clear there’s a problem mounting. Already in some cases, I’m a full work day over or under budget on time categories. One full day every two months is a lot of time. It may not seem like you’re off much on a given week, but it adds up.
- The budget should include margin. To be my best self, I set up a “Recreation & Restoration” time category. This doesn’t necessarily mean sitting by a pool drinking pina coladas. It reflects my growing awareness that I’m my best self when I pause during my work day to recreate, renew, and restore my energy. I also set up a “Personal Time” category, recognizing that occasionally I need to meet a plumber at home or visit the dentist in the middle of the work day.
- It’s too easy to miss R&R. Having said that, after two months, “Recreation & Restoration” is the most under-budget category amongst the 14. What I produce, sell, service, or fix — that’s all measured. What I do for my soul, mind, and energy — that’s easy to displace. At least it was, until I got sick last week or avoided hard tasks because I felt too depleted to deal with them. One way or another, I’ve learned, this bill will get paid.
- Inertia doesn’t lead me to uncharted territory. My second largest under-budget category is what I refer to as “Uncharted Territory.” For me, this is developing our business in places and demographics where we don’t currently operate. It’s the outreach and expansion, and like R&R, it’s easy for me to neglect. Dealing with the people and projects in front of me is easier than building new relationships and momentum. To resist this pull, I need to commit to blocks of time focused on pushing the limits of my current boundaries.
- “Personal Time” and “Management” take more time than you think. These two categories have been the biggest over-budget areas. Whether it’s leaving early to coach youth sports, answering a call from a teammate to brainstorm an idea, attending internal meetings, or documenting performance reviews, it’s all taken more time and energy than I anticipated. The takeaway: If I want a life and I want to lead, I have to be realistic about the time it will take.
- Accept the demands of management. “Management” wasn’t only over budget; it’s where I’ve spent the bulk of my time — it’s taken more time than practicing my craft, working with customers, innovating, or strategizing. That presents me with two alternatives: 1) embrace my role as a manager of others, or 2) be frustrated with the time it takes to manage people. Patrick Lencioni said, “If you’re a manager and you hate going to meetings, you should probably stop being a manager.” So, I pick #1.
- Extended colleagues usually get the shaft. “Collaborating with Extended Colleagues” is my lowest time category so far. I know my colleagues in other cities, divisions, and departments are doing things that we should be considering. But my time is limited. That means it’s vital to strengthen trust and open lines of communication. If communication isn’t flowing often, it needs to flow well when it does.
- Email is a magnetic trap. As you might expect, email has been overall the biggest villain in this project. Faced with a full inbox, I’m always tempted to dive in. Every email checked, responded to, or deleted releases dopamine into my brain’s pleasure center. The villain must be silenced: No work email on my phone. Only check email at certain times of day.
- When I am tired, confused, or empty, I just scan. The other villain is lack of what I’ll call work mental health. When I’ve been drained, confused about where to begin, or just feeling down, I have a hard time committing to intentional time. Rather than focusing and doing one thing well, I jump from email, to a contract, to research, to prepping for an event, to a project…and nothing gets done efficiently or well. Going forward, when I notice I’m not committing, I know it’s time to focus or pivot to R&R.
Have you tried this type of planning and tracking? If not, try clarifying your direction and goals, creating a time allocation budget, and tracking the actual. See whether it leads to the most intentional work year of your life.
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