Happy New Year 2013.

New Year is here... As I look back into the year that has passed and list the things achieved against my goals or so called resolutions, it seems like a lot has been done. But then a bitter fact also comes to picture that a lot more has been added and a lot more still needs to be done. While the Clock struck 12, I was basking in the glory of having achieved all but one of my resolutions that I made for 2012.. Also I started carefully planning the road ahead. Well there isn't exactly a GPS for planning this route.. The main thing that one needs to contend with is list of things to be achieved. There is just so much of them.. While having a long list of resolutions looks awesome, practically all it does is dilute focus. I started prioritizing my list to see "What is IMPORTANT to me". One tool I use in such situations is the Covey's Time Management Matrix. It is a very practical way of doing things and how actually we need to do it. Important and Urgent tasks are so  different but in real world they are treated alike. Urgency in most cases are a result of pressure from external factors that takes away our focus away from important things. Apart from the matrix, my other influencing factors for planning are
1. Sustainable Pace.
2. Demonstrable.
3. Cost Factors.
4. Long Term Plan

The Calendar ideally breaks ones time into appropriate shorter bursts of time. This for all practical purpose helps us by breaking down the tasks into smaller milestones, tracking their progress, monitoring deviations and focusing. So once you have the resolutions, break them down into smaller tasks - Divide and Conquer. At all times, stay in control of your own time. Planning stuff is one thing but not sticking to it, is a bigger waste of ones times.. Stress is likely in such cases.

With another 365 days available to us, let us make the best use of it to accomplish the things we want.. we like.. we need and we must....

Wish you all a Happy New Year 2013....