Does it feel like your goals are taking forever? Make a timeline!
Last week, I felt bogged down by how long my big goals are taking. It feels like forever. So, I made a timeline just to see how long forever really is.
I am working on two big goals:
1. MBA
2. Writing a memoir
Like every person in the world who has now been trained to give video clips 5 seconds or less to prove themselves, I tend to want to see results ASAP!
But since getting a graduate degree and writing a memoir take longer than a 15 second reel or two, I’m getting a little impatient. It feels like forever already, but I’m only in my 5th week of the MBA program and only finished the twelfth chapter of my memoir yesterday.
HOW LONG IS THIS GOING TO TAKE?! I quietly yell in my head.
Instead of continuing in my state of angsty impatience, I created a timeline.
Memoir
I’ve been writing two chapters every month. I’ve just finished chapter 12 and have twenty-six chapters in all to write.
October 2023: Chapters 13, 14
November 2023: Chapters 15, 16
December 2023: Chapters 17, 18
January 2024: Chapters 19, 20
February 2024: Chapters 21, 22
March 2024: Chapters 23, 24
April 2024: Chapters 25, 26 — Done!
I took a memoir class earlier this year and formed a memoir writing group with my classmates. I “turn in” my chapters by uploading to a shared Google Drive folder.
MBA Program
I signed a degree plan, but I didn’t really examine it in terms of how long it would take. The only stipulation on the plan was that I complete all fourteen courses by 2031. I want this degree yesterday so I’d rather not wait that long, but how long will I have to wait?
Fall 2023: 2 classes
Spring 2024: 2 classes
Summer 2024: 2 classes
Fall 2024: 2 classes
Spring 2025: 2 classes
Summer 2025: 2 classes
Fall 2025: 2 classes — Done!
Now, I have two dates to look forward to: April 2024 when the first draft of my memoir will be complete and December 2025 when I finish the MBA program.
But still… These dates didn’t feel real to me.
How can I make these goal dates real?
My daughter and I like to plan her birthday trips in advance. It gives us something to look forward to. This year, for my daughter’s seventh birthday, we went to Disney World.
To solidify the timeline of my two big goals into my reality, I plotted them on the timeline of my daughter’s birthday trips.
Birthday Trips
January 2024: Ski Trip — 8 years old
April 2024 — Memoir Complete!
January 2025: Disney World (again) — 9 years old
December 2025 — MBA Complete!
January 2026: Paris — 10 years old
I discovered a delightful surprise in this timeline exercise: I will finish the MBA just in time for my daughter’s ten year old birthday trip to Paris. She came up with her dream birthday trip list when she was six. Her ten year birthday is huge milestone (double digits!). We both want to do something super special. She’s been taking French lessons with a private tutor since she was 4. One of her daily goals is to study 30 minutes of French a day. This birthday Paris trip is a big motivator for her.
Now, when I look at my timeline, I’m more excited than ever. In between accomplishing these goals, we have fun trips to look forward to.
Are my two big goals going to take forever? No. In fact, seeing how the years have flown by with my daughter growing up right before my eyes, my goals will be here before I know it.
TL;DR: Make a timeline of your huge long term goals. To turn your goal completion dates from abstract ideas into concrete-these-goals-are-really-going-to-happen events, merge your goal timelines with another timeline, your birthday, your kids’ birthdays, vacations, or some other yearly event in your life.
Writer Info:
If you would like help balancing parenthood with reaching goals, big or small, email me: imee.the.author@gmail.com
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