Don’t make Resolutions – Use PRA!

Don’t make resolutions – use PRA!

It is amazing what you can do when time is limited.

I live by the motto, “when you have time to waste you will waste time.”

I have always been obsessed with productivity and discovered my own tools during my career. I have never read the “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” because I was able to accomplish what I wanted to. I never found myself short on time. For the past 30 years I have used the same techniques, fine-tuning them, but more or less the same. Before I ever saw a Franklin Planner I would fold a sheet of paper in half and create columns for the upcoming ten to twelve days, about five days per half. Next, I would list tasks for each day. In college I carried 22 semester hours my senior year, had two jobs, and was president of the college of engineering at the University of Florida. I managed to workout, go to the beach, have good grades, and find contentment. After college I immediately set goals to accomplish within five years: my MBA, my Professional Engineering license, and an income related goal. I accomplished all of them because I focused.

Day in and day out I use Projected-Retrospective-Accomplishments ™ [PRA].

What is PRA?

PRA is about taking a trip forward in time, looking back, and seeing what was accomplished. For instance, in 2012 I made a decision to consider going to law school. I had just turned 45 and realized if I started law school in the fall of 2013 I would graduate in the spring of 2017, just before my 50^th birthday. I had encountered a Life-Fork(tm) – a decision point in my life that could dramatically change my future. I used PRA to make a decision: I Projected myself forward to my 50^th birthday party and considered my Retrospective look back to see what Accomplishments I might have made. In short, would I be glad I went to law school or wish I had gone. It was an easy choice, go to school.

Back to resolutions. Today many people will make resolutions and most will fail within three weeks. There are numerous articles on resolutions and succeeding. I offer a different consideration. First, don’t make New Year’s resolutions but instead wait for your birthday then use PRA to look forward five years, one year, one quarter, one month and one week. If you must start today then do so but again use the same 5y1y1q1m1w method.

Next, start from the bottom up – the week ahead. Layout each day and determine the action items needed to embark toward the one month goal. Obviously the one month goal should support your 90 day (1q) and one year goals. You get it…..

On December 9^th I took my last law school final for the fall 2014 semester. School starts again on January 12^th. I knew I had just 30 days or so to accomplish a large number of tasks. Thus, with my short break between Fall and Spring semesters of law school I had to manage my time very efficiently. With that, I made a day by day list of tasks to complete after first making a list of goals. So I move from a high level plan to a detailed tactical plan with concrete action items.

I am an Evernote user, a fanatic, and set up day by day a list of tasks. It looked like this:

• Tue Dec 10
  • Workout
  • Ride bike
  • Work
  • Go to home depot and buy ceiling fans, speakers
  • Go to James’ basketball game
• Wed Dec 11
  • Workout
  • Ride bike
  • Work
  • Install one set of speakers
  • xmas party

You get the idea. I am not perfect though and I fell behind in certain areas – like writing my screenplay and preparing to ride my bike across Florida. However, I excelled in family time, being tuned in for the holidays and accomplishing some home improvement tasks as New Year’s Eve was one year in our house.

Between December 9 and December 31 here is what I completed:

• Successfully renewed my BFR after a three year lapse and am legal to fly airplanes again
• Cleaned my wardrobe closet and discarded old law school notes
• Cleaned out hallway closet and small table that had accumulated crap
• Applied for and took 4 hours of continuing education for the ethics portion of my Professional Engineers license for renewal
• Installed two dimmer switches
• Installed a new ceiling fan
• Installed two sets of in ceiling speakers to complete our whole house music system
• Changed all four disc brakes on my car
• Fixed the burned out driving light bulbs on my car
• Fixed the heater blower bearing on my car
• Worked out nearly everyday (85%)
• Created the outline for my screenplay. Wrote 5000 words so far.
• Built a portable Linux distribution I can carry anywhere
• Changed the oil on my car
• Painted my son’s room
• Delegated to my teenage son touch up painting of the whole house.
• Helped my teenager’s paint my daughter’s room
• Hung chair rail in our living room
• After a visit to Ikea hung shelves, built shelves, a dresser and made other improvements
• Did all of the cooking (and most cleanup) for Christmas
• Went away to Amelia Island for four days
• Read two books and five magazines to catch up on my reading
• And, I worked, prepared for work for next year, and managed what needed to be done

I have fallen short – I did not ride my bike, run, or work on the draft of another book idea. One thing I have learned is choosing certain tasks will naturaly determine what is important.

So, with twelve days left until my January 12^th deadline what remains?

Driving to my cabin in Georgia and renovating a bathroom, a sales meeting at work next week, Nitrox certification for scuba diving, taking the second four-hour course I need for my PE license renewal, and of course spending time with my family.

LeeAnn and I also planned the next eight months on our calendar, marking what we know we have committed to. We set goals regarding places to visit and things we want to do with our children. It is exciting to look forward and have enthusiasm for the new year. At the same time it is scary because it is easy to see “when you have time to waste you will waste time.“