Managing one’s time effectively is a trait that is fundamental to achieving success both personally and professionally. But what strategies should you implement to ensure you meet both your short and long-term goals? One approach that may assist you in accomplishing that is the 1+1+1 system. This system organizes your goals into three distinct categories enabling you to allocate time more efficiently and reach your goals quicker.
We will look at how to implement the 1+1+1 system, its advantages, and how it can aid you in increasing your productivity in the areas where you struggled.
How Does the 1+1+1 System Work?
1+1+1 System divides one’s goals into three categories based on time frames. Those categories are:
Goals Set for The Far Future (Long-Term Goals):
These goals are set for the farthest future and usually within a timeline that ranges from five years and beyond. One may want to retire at the age of 50 or become the industry leader within the next two decades as their goal is significantly focused on long-term financial goal setting.
Goals You Aim to Achieve Over The Next One to Five Years (Medium-Term Goals):
These goals focus on changes within one’s career and include conditions where an individual may wish to become an engineer, an MBA graduate, or a business owner in order to achieve them.
Short-term (Current) Goals
Short-term goals require completion within the span of a year. These goals focus on immediate tasks that need to be undertaken, like polishing skills or completing a project within the year.
Categorizing goals allows for structure, overcoming procrastination, and managing goals effectively. It also helps towards ordering tasks based on urgency and importance.
How to Apply the 1+1+1 System
This is how I implement the 1+1+1 system in real life:
Example 1: For a Student
- Current Goal: Get admission into a preferred college.
- Near Future Goal: Study well to get high marks to secure a job in a respectable company.
- Far Future Goal: Owning a vehicle and house after having a stable job.
Example 2: For a Business Owner
- Current Goal: Increasing monthly sales from Rs. 10,000 to around Rs. 20,000.
- Near Future Goal: From 50,000 to 1 lakh over the course of 6 months.
- Far Future Goal: Within 1 to 5 years opening a franchise business.
A person will remain on task and organized by using the goal setting method of progressively achieving more and more tasks.
Key Aspects to the 1+1+1 Plan
The 1+1+1 system has certain important benefits, particularly with regards to efficiently managing one’s time:
1. Time Saving
Management procedures being systematic, structured, organized, and disciplined are holistic processes taking place over the short, medium, or long run. My favorite example is one minute spent planning saves me ten minutes in execution. Planning for today saves hours of guess work for the future. To put it more simply, you will be able to achieve more in less time.
2. Quick and Relevant Changes
You can also set plans for the following weeks when formulating a marketing campaign for next week. The efficacy of the 1+1+1 is clear: It allows changes to be made instantly to improve results. For example, if a set plan is poorly executed upon midterm review, changes can be made without any major adjustments to the current plan.
3. Staying Focused On Track
Currently focusing narrow, but by allowing your scope to include midterm and long-term aspirations, the mindset becomes one of of hovering over the bigger picture increasing attention grabbers leading to more focus. Your goals for the near-future and far-future inspire you to achieve them while addressing the choices that need to be made to reach these larger objectives.
Golden Tip:
“An hour spent planning saves you hours of work.”
Steps for Efficient Planning Strategy
The 1+1+1 system can be employed when planning through these simple steps.
Plan Today for Execution Now
Concentrate on tasks that you have to do today. Always ensure you are accomplishing your existing goals with no procrastination.
Plan Tomorrow for Future Execution Within Reach
Establish goals for a few months to a year ahead. Pay attention to tasks that aim towards your mid-term goals.
Plan for the Far Future
Use some time to plan for the next 5 years at the very least. Identify key steps to accomplish your ultimate goals.
By following these steps for your planning, you make sure that you are always achieving something regardless how small your efforts are.
1+1+1 Action Plan
To successfully achieve the 1+1+1 system:
Prioritize on tasks you aim to finish in the day.
Set medium tasks to be accomplished during the week.
Define your ultimate goals and break them down into smaller goals to get to your end target.
Conclusion
The 1+1+1 system is among the most effective and convenient methods of goal setting. It enables you to arrange your goals in order of importance, allocate the necessary time towards meeting each one of them, and work towards achieving both short and long term goals. You can focus on priorities that matter while also conserving effort and time by planning ahead and employing this system of management.
