Have you ever wished for more than 24 hours in a day or felt frustrated because you were not accomplishing what you wanted? In America, the greatest poverty we have is “time poverty.”

By managing your time effectively, you can gain up to two productive hours a day, have less stress, have more energy, and increase your income. Here is a tool to get you started. Remember change requires action.

The backward planning process is an excellent method for goal setting and time management. It is just a different way to achieve the results you want. It forces you to think from a completely new perspective and it helps you see things you might have missed with the traditional chronological process.

Basically, you start with your objective, the end result you desire, and work backwards from there. It is like telling a story going backwards. If I want to speak at a noon luncheon, I start there and plan backwards. If I want to be there at 11:30 a.m., I always plan on arriving fifteen minutes early. In order to be there at 11:15 a.m., with an hour’s drive, I have to leave by 10:15 a.m. One hour to get ready, so I start by 9:15 a.m. I want 45 minutes to eat, so breakfast needs to be on by 8:30 a.m. I need my quiet time in the morning, so I get up at 7:30 a.m. and I know I push snooze a couple of times, so I set the alarm for 7:00 a.m. I have made time for everything I want to accomplish and to get there on time.

This backward planning process has been life-changing for me. I encourage you to embrace it. Effective time management is a matter of choice. You can learn the skills and behaviors which will ultimately become habits that will last a lifetime.