It’s summer and holiday season is supposedly upon us, yet I have multiple coaching clients that seem to be scrambling to keep up. Whether they’re running from meeting to meeting, trying to meet deadlines on project work, or even struggling with uncertainty in their career direction, the image that goes through my mind is the proverbial chicken with its head cut off.

How do we get into this behavior? In my opinion, one of the key reasons is that we allow our schedules to run us. Did you know that taking 5-10 minutes a day to assess each meeting, project, or idea and see how it aligns with our goals and objectives could save you time? In most instances, people let others drive their calendar and schedule without the slightest challenge. How often, when you get a meeting invitation, do you just accept it because you’re on the project team or feel that if an individual is asking you to a meeting, they must need your time rather than seeing if an email exchange could solve it?

Review for the GOAL is something I’ve started telling people. It’s a simple framework that can help you own your time, managing that which is in your control – your calendar. You receive a meeting request:

·     GET into a positive, reflective mindset

·     OUTCOMES are clear

·     ALIGNMENT to your objectives and role

·     LASTS only enough time to get the task done

Following the GOAL framework when you get a meeting invite enables you to be in control of your time. Reflecting on the purpose and your role in a particular meeting gives you more confidence to turn a 60-minute meeting into 30. As you apply the GOAL methodology you’ll feel more empowered to protect your calendar, even to the point of saying no at times!