In the 6^th grade, I was slapped with the reality that if you don’t pan you plan to fail. Slapped may be an exaggeration but it got you to listen.

Backstory

When I did my first round of middle school exams to enter junior high it’s like a lightbulb went off in my head. I moved from an underperforming mid-level student who had to be pushed to finish her homework to a girl who did all her work and was done by 4 pm and had a whole evening to delve into crazy topics on Al Jazeera and other conspiracy theories like the Bermuda triangle etc.

I remember learning how to structure myself, and knowing what I wanted. I looked at my workload, planned my days accordingly, and got things done. Some may call it an awakening, maturity or enlightenment, but I like to use the words “figuring out what you want, charting the steps and working backwards”.

I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up, I had no desire to become a doctor, lawyer or an astronaut, some would say these are the kind of things that drive a young mind to be great. All I can remember is I was tired of being the one left at the dinner table doing homework in the dead of night, not being able to play and enjoy my evenings in the sun with my friends and on the internet.

I was tired.

So, I figured out what I wanted and worked backwards.

I wanted to play and spend time with my friends and on the internet, which meant I had to finish my homework on time or better yet not carry any homework at all.

Desire is identified, the reason behind the desire is expressed, and things that can make the desire a reality are outlined.

What was left was execution, rev your engines……

So, if I don’t want to carry homework, I have to finish all my work in school. While not reducing the amount of work I’m doing in the classroom because that will completely work against the reason why I’m doing this in the first place.

Time management

I had to figure out a way to split my time efficiently so that I would be able to maximize my day and be able to have free time at the end of it.

This looked like coming to school early, reviewing concepts right after classes, on a heavy workload day staying in a few minutes after the break bell coming in a bit earlier to get a head start on the work, or getting a clear understanding of the assignments given by the teacher.

All these are key elements of my ultimate goal.

After doing all those backward calculations, what was left?

Implementation

I started managing my time better, caught myself daydreaming, and gave myself a set amount of time to do a task.

Time became my friend, and the rest was history

I have applied this same skill since and I have seen nothing but success. Do you want that grade, time for an extra activity or more time to sleep? Time became my biggest asset.

You can argue that what life looked like when you were 12 is not the same as now, an adult with important declines, life coming at you fast, and capitalism running after you. And to some extent you are right, you can’t compare grade school with adult life.

Let me adjust your perspective a bit.

I’m in university

My goals are to graduate, get the most out of the campus experience, build myself, explore my passions, tap into different aspects of myself. Fully immerse myself in this season of my life.

In order to fully embody these goals, I need to have certain GPA, attend extra curricula’s, participate in clubs and activities that tap into different parts of myself, get involved with outside school stuff and the list goes on.

It’s a bit much but its me, these are my goals. How do I fit all these into my 24-hour days, 6 days weeks, 15-week trimesters, a 4-year degree and beyond??

Breaking down my goals and working backwards helps me turn them into smaller, manageable tasks. This allows me to see progress step by step, which keeps me motivated in real-time.

I challenge you today

Look at the goals you have and dissect them, break them down.

Use these steps

1. What is the goal and why do I need to achieve it
2. What are the key main milestones I need to meet for this goal to be a reality
3. What is the time frame / duration
4. What can I do now or incrementally to get me closer to my goal

And just like that a great breakdown has been laid, a good foundation. Now what left is for you to walk into it.

Figure out what you want and work backwards.