The habits of highly effective people...

Recently I attended a time management course. My employer, who has seen his fair share of employment gaffes identified that it was needed. Time management and goal setting isn't easy; it's the habit of highly effective people; I'm not one of them. Forward planning is reserved for those who aren't like me. Reserved for those who unlike me, understand the importance of where they want to be and what they want to do.

My trainer for the day was Mike, unsurprisingly had an interesting philosophy on time management and goal setting. Imagine yourself being transported five years into the future (scary right?), and you end up meeting your future self. Lets leave aside that every science fiction film talks about the negative consequences of this happening, how the space time continuum could be drastically changed, and lets focus on the question to hand; "What have you achieved in these last five years?" 

Highly effective people it seems plan ahead. They know that in five years they would have overcome the goals to get them where they wanted to be, they identify, they analyse, they re-evaluate and tick off lists. They are always thinking ahead, believing that their actions, their positivity to overcome any obstacle will get them achieving their goal. They are probably right. 

So after 60 days since an Italian election, can you imagine anyone having foreseen the outcome. A parliament which remains hung, although the nephew of Berlusconi's right hand man, Gianna Letta is now leading an exploratory request of parties to get a government formed. How Enrico Letta is in for a tough time admitting "the sense of responsibility is greater than my shoulders can carry", as comforting as having an airline pilot admit to forgetting how to fly a plane on take off. 

Pier-Luigi Bersani, the man who still thinks to this day that he won the election has resigned. His attempts to get both Marini and Prodi elected as President of the Republic were duly usurped both internally by his own party as well as the no vote from the Five Star Movement and unsurprisingly the right wing coalition of Berlusoni in the later candidates request. 

We thought that Giorgio Napolitano retired, in fact so did he, but the procrastination and political bickering took its toll; he duly accepted to be re-confirmed as President of the Republic. At 87 its worrying to think that he may have been the only suitable choice, although Stefano Rodota, seven years his enfant terrible would have adequately bridged the gap between the PD and the Five Star Movement of Beppe Grillo; Grillo proposing "approve Rodota, and we'll support your government to lead"; they refused. 

And what about Berlusconi I hear you all scream? Amidst the betrayal of Bersani proposing Prodi (the only man to beat Berlusconi twice in 20 years) and his own three court cases, he can be found in Texas bathing in the Bush Jnr presidential library biding his time until the left wing implodes, until Renzi becomes less popular, until Grillo gets portrayed as the man who blocked Italy and until a new election is called. 

Highly effective people, they set their goals, they bide their time, they adapt. My my, how effective is Berlusconi looking these days.