TIME MANAGEMENT
to do in the short term—within the week, the
day, or the hour. This process of dividing a long-
term goal into smaller segments is also known
as chunking. Look at a goal as you would a big
bar of chocolate. It’s just not possible to stuff
the whole thing in your mouth at once, even if
that’s your fi rst impulse. So you break it into
pieces: First, you divide it in halves or quarters,
and then you break apart the individual squares.
Most people eat the chocolate bar a square at a
time—and it doesn’t take long for the whole bar
to disappear.
The most important thing to remember
is not to obsess about your long-term goal,
though you are thinking about it, discussing it
as appropriate, and perhaps jotting down notes
to yourself about it on occasion. This will help
you remember the direction you’re headed,
as you focus on the chunks that you have
determined will take you there. Keeping your
ultimate goal in the back of your mind ‘fl avors’
the chunks you’re doing at any moment and
gives them more meaning than they might
otherwise have.
Remain focused on implementation and
action. Achieve your tasks and objectives, and
you’ll hit the big target right where and when
you’re supposed to. As long as your goal-setting
achieves the proper traction, you’ll reach your
destination, no matter how far down the road
it is. When working toward your goals, remem-
ber the Eastern proverb that wisely states “a
journey of a thousand miles begins with a
single step.”