- Do you ever find that you're over committed, that you're just trying to get too much done in too little time? The result of doing this is stress for yourself, and disappointment from other people when you don't meet the expectations that they have for you. Instead, we want to get into the habit of under promising and over delivering. If you do that, not only will you experience greater freedom, but greater success. Here are a few tips to get into that habit.
First, for any task that you have, come up with your best guess as to how long it will take, and add 10%. In other words, if I think something's going to take 10 days, then I'm going to tell people, and myself, it's going to take 11 days. That establishes a more reasonable expectation from the beginning. Number two, I'm going to use the latest question, which means when is the latest I can get this to you? If someone asks you to do something, let's say it's going to take a month, then you say I'm going to do this in a month minus five days, and you schedule time in your calendar that's reasonable for that.
You give yourself enough time, but don't put it right to the very edge. Number three is if we're working on a long project, we want to break it down into bite-sized pieces. Let's say a project is going to take one year. So, we want to ask ourselves, at the half way point, six months, where do we need to be? Then we ask the questions again. At the three month mark, where do we need to be? And then break it down one more time. At the one month mark, where do we need to be? And then schedule actions to get us to that one month mark.
That makes big projects much more manageable. And, finally, this is just a general thought. Focus on progress, not perfection. So many of us want to do things right the first time. We set these expectations for ourself that we're going to be perfect. However, that's just not the way human beings are really wired. We make progress one step at a time, and if you set your expectation for improvement, you'll be more satisfied with what you're achieving.
Setting achievable expectations is like a muscle that you need to develop. The more that you exercise it, the stronger you can become at the skill of estimating how long things will take.
Author
Updated
4/15/2019Released
4/11/2016Productivity expert Dave Crenshaw provides techniques on a wide variety of topics, designed to help people better manage their time and ultimately become more productive. Tune in to learn about everything from managing emails and calendars to setting priorities, collaborating with coworkers, reducing interruptions, crafting a "productivity mindset," and creating a more comfortable and effective work environment.
Have an idea for a future video from Dave? Submit it using our course feedback form. If you want more time management strategies now, we recommend watching Dave's Time Management Fundamentals course.
- Reducing interruptions
- Dealing with feeling overwhelmed
- Responding to quick questions
- Making the most of meetings
- Following up
- Implementing a closed door, open calendar policy
Skill Level Intermediate
Duration
Views
Q: Why can't I earn a Certificate of Completion for this course?
A: We publish a new tutorial or tutorials for this course on a regular basis. We are unable to offer a Certificate of Completion because it is an ever-evolving course that is not designed to be completed. Check back often for new movies.
Related Courses
-
Excel Tips Weekly
with Dennis Taylor32h 51m Intermediate -
Time Management Fundamentals
with Dave Crenshaw2h 53m Intermediate -
Improving Your Focus
with Dave Crenshaw56m 3s Intermediate -
Time Management: Working from Home
with Dave Crenshaw1h 25m Intermediate
-
Introduction
-
Welcome43s
-
-
1. Time Management Tips
-
Power tips for sending email3m 14s
-
Positive procrastination3m 15s
-
Remove the "busy" tag2m 58s
-
Manage digital interruptions4m 19s
-
Make the most of meetings2m 52s
-
Follow up on delegated items2m 58s
-
Become tech savvy4m 33s
-
Focus on the person2m 37s
-
Time management for students2m 59s
-
Ending meetings with action1m 44s
-
Building a not-to-do list2m 46s
-
Avoiding the crowd mindset2m 58s
-
Placing a value on your time3m 30s
-
How to schedule a meeting3m 35s
-
How to develop flexibility4m 19s
-
The trouble with texting3m 48s
-
Create a perhaps list4m 58s
-
Reduce attention switches4m 46s
-
Adapt your favorite app4m 33s
-
Make time to get more time3m 49s
-
Read vs. unread email3m 52s
-
Make time to have fun3m 57s
-
Create a morning ritual3m 23s
-
When to create new homes3m 26s
-
How to reduce spam3m 48s
-
Why repetition saves time2m 48s
-
Productive passwords2m 3s
-
Productive web browser tips1m 51s
-
Writing a productive email1m 55s
-
Commit to your calendar1m 54s
-
What to say instead of ASAP1m 46s
-
Set voicemail expectations1m 43s
-
Set email expectations1m 46s
-
How to use an inbox1m 41s
-
How to use an outbox1m 53s
-
- Mark as unwatched
- Mark all as unwatched
Are you sure you want to mark all the videos in this course as unwatched?
This will not affect your course history, your reports, or your certificates of completion for this course.
CancelTake notes with your new membership!
Type in the entry box, then click Enter to save your note.
1:30Press on any video thumbnail to jump immediately to the timecode shown.
Notes are saved with you account but can also be exported as plain text, MS Word, PDF, Google Doc, or Evernote.
Share this video
Embed this video
Video: Setting achievable expectations