BY:  Lisa Ann Landry

2)  Work is Like Water

In my career at IBM I made a habit of going to work early, working through breaks and lunch and working late trying to accomplish all my tasks.  This led to chronic fatigue and frustration because I was never able to get everything done.  I learned from a friend that work is like water. Here’s what that means, imagine you’re sitting at a table where you grab the water pitcher that’s in the center and you pour all the water from the pitcher onto the table. What will the water do?  The water will spread out and fill the table. It fills the space that it’s been give, so does work!  This is why it’s important to have a blue print of what you want to accomplish.

According to research conducted by professionals in behavioral sciences and mental health 90% of the U.S. population alone fails to effectively set goals and follow through on them. Your blueprint for your life includes a series of goals. Just as in a blueprint for building a house everything isn’t done at once, neither are all of your goals. To successful accomplish your goals they should be broken down into  SMART goals. When setting SMART goals make them:

• Specific  
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Realistic
• Time Bound

The next step is to prioritize your goals so you focus on the most important things first. So many people get frustrated because they are not able to accomplish all their goals by forgetting it’s the high priority goals that need attention first.  What’s your favorite prioritizing method or tool?