Ed Batista: Time Horizons

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Ed Batista Time Horizons
When we assess our lives--our fulfillment, our
effectiveness, what's working, what's not
working--how far ahead do we look? How far ahead
should we look? Is that time horizon a good fit
for the issues under consideration? And what
issues are most relevant to us in a given time
horizon? The 10 time horizons at right are the
ones that I find most useful. They're each
sufficiently distinct to provide a different
perspective and raise a new set of issues, but
they flow continuously from this immediate moment
to my very last breath. That's not to say that I
have a clear plan for each horizon--hardly. But
when looking ahead it's helpful to realize that
I've moved from one horizon into the next. It
prompts me to ask Am I in the right timeframe?
Should I take a step back--or jump even further
ahead? Should my approach change? Am I still
asking the right questions? Are the same issues
in play?
www.edbatista.com/2009/07/horizons.html
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Ed Batista Time Horizons
I chose these specific horizons deliberately
Once I look beyond "Today" my next natural
horizon is "This Week," and once I look past
Friday the next signpost is a month-and-a-half
out.  And the "18 Month" horizon fits with Peter
Drucker's belief that clear and specific plans
can't cover any more time than that.  You might
choose a different set of horizons--perhaps "This
Month" makes more sense to you than "6 Weeks." 
Or perhaps 10 horizons is too many, and it's more
useful to think in broader strokes.  For example,
heres an alternative version. The precise
number and scope of the horizons is up to
you--choose the ones that best meet your needs. 
But my larger point is that sometimes we're
looking too far ahead when focusing closer in
would be more useful, and sometimes we're staring
down at our shoes when we really should lift our
gaze.
www.edbatista.com/2009/07/horizons.html
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