What is the first step in the time-management process?

• A. Prioritize tasks.
• B. Set goals.
• C. Schedule breaks.
• D. Start immediately.

Answer: (B)

Setting goals is the first step because it creates direction for everything that follows. When you set goals, you define what you want to achieve, by when, and under what standards. This clarity lets you judge each task by how well it advances those goals, so you can prioritize the most important work and decide how much time to allocate to it. Without goals, you might dive into tasks that seem urgent but don’t really matter, making it hard to measure progress or stay focused. Once goals are clear, you can break them into concrete tasks, determine which are most impactful, and build a schedule that allocates time to those activities plus necessary breaks to stay productive. Starting immediately without goals can lead to scattered effort and wasted time, so setting goals first is the best starting point.