We all understand the concept of time management. So why aren’t we better at it? Why do we continue to waste our time on unimportant things and fail to accomplish everything we set out to do?

One of the major mistakes people make is neglecting to take the time to determine in advance and with great clarity what their goals are. There will always be distractions at work, but if you don’t have a clear plan, it’s too easy to end up spending more time on the distractions than your actual work.

Set major, long-term goals for what you want to accomplish. This is true not just for work but also for your personal life. Spending time with family and friends and pursuing rewarding hobbies is essential for living a happy, balanced life. Just as with work, you want to get the most possible out of that time.

Once you have your long-range goals, subdivide them into more manageable, shorter-range goals. These shorter-term goals must be expressed in such a way as to meet the SMART test. They must be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-sensitive. For example, if one of your long-range goals is to write a book on your family history, then a few commitments could be: interview your mom and dad by June 1, find a coach who can help you by July 1, find all the photos in your parents’ home relating to your grandparents and their parents by August 1, and so on.