How to Meet Your Daily Goals
This is a guest post by Jessica Edmondson
We’ve
all been there – that moment when accomplishing a set of daily goals seems
about as likely as winning the lottery while vacationing on the sunny shores of
the French Riviera. Truth is, every morning there are a thousand obstacles just
waiting to keep you from accomplishing what’s really important.
Fortunately,
there are a few simple tricks that can help you focus on the tasks that need
your full attention so you can have a productive day. With the proper
perspective and a little perseverance, you can develop lifelong habits that
will serve as a blueprint to success.
Accomplishing
any set of daily goals begins with understanding that you must have priorities.
You only have so many hours in a day and you simply can’t do everything. The
sooner you accept this, the quicker you can learn to focus your attention on
the truly important jobs.
·
Make a List: Sometimes it helps
to list your priorities so you’ll have a visual reference to help you manage
your daily goals and budget some time for each project. Having a list also
helps you identify tasks that aren’t vital – delegate those tasks if necessary
or just cross them off the list. But make sure you also keep your mind free of
those tasks; otherwise they may still distract you from accomplishing what’s
really important.
·
Set Some Goals: After you’ve
identified the areas in which to concentrate your efforts, you need to set specific
goals. This will help keep you focused and give you a sense of accomplishment when
you reach certain milestones. Do you want to write 1,000 words for your new book?
Maybe you’d like to make 10 proper introductions to prospective clients. Or perhaps
send out a week’s worth of invoices.
·
Aim to Accomplish: Whatever you need
to accomplish, make sure your goals are attainable and reasonable. If you set
yourself up for failure, it’s easy to lose focus and get sidetracked. Setting
achievable goals will help you realize a sense of accomplishment and encourage
repeat performances.
·
Stay on Task: While prioritizing
and setting goals can be pretty straightforward, the final step can be challenging,
especially in today’s fast-paced, hectic world. To give yourself the best
chance at accomplishing your daily goals, you have to learn to remove interruptions
from your work time. If you let little distractions dictate how you spend your
day, you’ll be surprised how much time will be wasted.
Even when you’re comfortably seated in front of your computer and ready to work, the ability to waste time on the Internet is just a click away. Sure, your friend probably has a bunch of cute baby pictures on his or her Facebook page. You have to avoid this temptation. Before you know it, you’ll be checking sports scores or looking for a daily cartoon to give you a chuckle. Then the morning’s half gone and now you’re pressed to accomplish more in even less time.
Even when you’re comfortably seated in front of your computer and ready to work, the ability to waste time on the Internet is just a click away. Sure, your friend probably has a bunch of cute baby pictures on his or her Facebook page. You have to avoid this temptation. Before you know it, you’ll be checking sports scores or looking for a daily cartoon to give you a chuckle. Then the morning’s half gone and now you’re pressed to accomplish more in even less time.
By
following these simple steps you’ll begin to develop a productive routine that can
shape your work habits for years to come. And like anything else, the more you
practice, the better you’ll become.
Have you developed a system that allows you to focus your
efforts on accomplishing a set of tasks? What tips would you offer for achieving
daily goals?
This
guest post was provided by Jessica Edmondson who writes about Leadership
and Business
Administration for the University Alliance, a division of Bisk Education,
Inc.
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2 Comments:
Nice post and pretty well summarized! What helps me to keep on track is a list, which is cloud-based, so that I can access is everywhere. On that list is everything which can't be done instantly (like to GTD thing of "under two minutes, just do it"). This list, I iterate over several times a day to see, whether I can continue on a task. The main focus is not, to finish each and every task, but to get a step further in them.
Keeping a list of goals and making a conscious effort to avoid online distractions are great steps for success. Thanks for the post!
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