Hello, and welcome to "The Resilient Leader." Coach Charlotte here. Our topic for this week, deadlines and time clocks.

This is a tool that I've utilized for myself to help work through projects and specific things that I wanted to get done. Have you ever had something you wanted to accomplish? Maybe it's a work project, or it could be something personal, like cleaning out the garage. You avoid it because you aren't sure how you're going to fit it in, or you keep putting it off and already know you have a specific deadline.

I'm going to share with you what works for me. It's my personal system I created, deadlines and time clocks. And at the end, I'm going to provide a handout for you to be able to print out and use to create your project deadline and time clock system.

So let me explain a little bit. A deadline tells you when something needs to be finished. Your time clock tells you how much time it will actually take you to get it done, and it affords you the opportunity to set specific time aside on specific days to accomplish it.

So this simple six-step tool I use is easy.

Step one would be you write down what your goal is. Be specific. What actually are you trying to accomplish? Again, it could be a work project. Maybe you want to write a book. Maybe you're trying to clean out the garage. Maybe you have a project for work, a report that you have to get done. Write it down. What exactly do you need to accomplish?

And step two, create a deadline for yourself. When will you have it finished? Put a date on it.

And then finally, number three, determine your time clock. Ask yourself, "Whoo. How many hours will it take me to complete this?" Create an estimate. Not how many days you have until the deadline, but how many work hours will you need? If a project is due Friday and will take eight hours to complete, Friday isn't really a problem. Finding the eight hours is. So make sure you outline how many hours is it going to take.

Step four, break those hours into obtainable steps. So imagine for a minute there that you said you needed eight hours to complete the project. Maybe you need two hours a day for four days in the week. Maybe it's four one-hour sessions or two two-hour sessions. Break the project down into something manageable. If it's a longer-term project, how many weeks are you going to work on it? And how many hours per day inside of that week? You have the flexibility to choose that. My worksheet will help you.

Next is step five, schedule the time. This is where planning becomes execution. Put the hours inside your calendar. Don't just create a to-do list on what you need to do. Put some hours on the calendar. Create an appointment with your priority and then stick to it.

Next is protect time, step six. When it's time to work, remove distractions, turn off notifications, close the email, put the phone away. Give your goal full attention. And remember, your deadline tells you when you need to arrive. Your time clock tells you how much time you need to get there. Lastly, hold you accountable on the times that you're meeting. Close your door. Push things aside. Create seclusion for yourself while you're working on it, and remove those distractions.

So this week, look at one important goal or a project on your list or ask yourself two of these questions. What's my deadline? What's my time clock? How much time will it take, and how am I going to break it up incrementally and make an appointment with myself?

The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot. So I hope my tool will help you, deadlines and time clocks. And I'm going to attach a worksheet for you to be able to use. Reach out to me. Let me know if you need some help putting together your framework for your special project.

All right, my friends. Have an amazing week. Take care.