I got a question on twitter today about how to set a daily goal. It’s a good question. Some of my short-term growth goals are a month-long. So a daily goal is almost alien to me.

However the question reminded me having a daily goal is important.

I have gotten so accustomed to the way I handle my goals and tasks.  I tend to not think of a daily goal but a #1 priority task. So what I am getting at is that whether you call it a daily goal for a top-task isn’t important.   But choosing what you want to accomplish each day is critical.

How to Choose Your Daily Goal

I recommend picking your goal based on what you want in the future. If your goal is something big like to save up for a new house… okay.  There is a goal you can do today to make that happen.  Maybe your goal might be calling a realtor.  It might be talking to the bank.  Or it might be a half-dozen other things.

Like I said we can split hairs over whether we call it a #1 priority task or a daily goal.  Whatever you call it, your daily goal should be the most important thing you can do today to move the ball forward.

There’s an important distinction to be made between a daily goal or priority task and a half. We wouldn’t call working out necessarily a daily goal. Unless it was based on something such as I want to lose 50 pounds instead if you wanted to build your health you might call your daily goal actually a half developing the habit of exercise every day. I know this is confusing to some but I think it’s important to remember that if you’re going to be doing the same thing every day forever and ever amen, then what you’re talking about is developing a habit you’re not talking goals or tasks necessarily.

Tips to get Your Daily Goal Done

1. Start Early in the Morning – Early in the morning the emails haven’t started pouring in.  The demands on your attention haven’t landed.  In the morning you have freedom to pursue what you want.  If you don’t get started early, there is a risk you won’t.
2. Start the Hardest Part of the Daily Goal First – I hate to say it, but the thing you dread doing, the thing you are putting off is probably the most important thing!   A student doesn’t put off launching a web browser to do research – he puts off making flash cards for his study – because that’s harder.  Yet, it might be the most important task to do to pass the test.
3. Allow yourself flexibility – If you’re like me, you miscalculate how long it is going to take you to do something.  Here we have to be patient and carry your daily goal over to the next day.  So you accomplish it a day late.  So what?When I was building the first Pocket PC version of Achieve-IT! goal software, I set a goal to have it done in a year.  It took me 13 months.  So what?  I was a month late, but it still got done.  Had I beat myself up about it on the 12th month, it might have been longer…

Now it’s your turn

I’m sure many of you have comments about successful ways to knock out the daily goal. Why don’t you give your successful strategies in the comments?  Beginners might be having a tough time laying out their day in this way.  It could be confusing and it can be sort of anxiety building for some of us to narrow down what we should focus on.  Your comments will help.

And if you have a goal setting question, feel free to ask me on Twitter or by submitting it here. I really do appreciate questions about goal setting and productivity, so ask away!  You aren’t hurting my feelings. 

Image credit: svilen mushkatov

“If you can’t ride two horses at once, you shouldn’t be in the circus.” – American Proverb

Barbara Bartlein from the People Pro posted an article about the harmful effect of multitasking on your productivity. She points out how researchers warn of several problems with multitasking aside from decreased productivity including increased stress, stomach aches, and headaches

University of Illinois study of Microsoft workers reports that each time a person gets distracted, it takes a full 15 minutes to get back on track. Put another way, for each time your email dings with a new message, whether it’s a dire emergency or a picture of a cat with a melon skin on it’s head, it costs you dearly in lost time.

With the productivity losses incurred from multitasking, Barbara listed out 4 main ways to combat it:

1. Accurately estimate the time to complete tasks.

For one day, write down all the tasks you have to accomplish and estimate the time needed. Then truthfully time yourself. You will be able to find the percentage that you routinely underestimate and can adjust your work schedule.

2. Use external memory as much as possible.

Albert Einstein once said that he keeps nothing in his mind that can be easily retrieved from paper. A cluttered brain makes it much more difficult to be creative and productive. External memory can be as simple as a pad of paper or using technology more effectively. Use the calendar on your computer to remind you of important dates or appointments and quick lists to organize your tasks.

3. Batch your work. Rather than checking e-mail multiple times per day, set times for reading and responding. Let your phone go to voice mail, if possible, and return phone calls during a specific time. Put similar tasks together, like paying bills and balancing your checking account, to increase efficiency.

4. Remove distractions. Control interruptions and noise. If the workplace is loud, discuss with co-workers ways to control the volume. Set times for consultation or questions rather than allowing unlimited access to your time. And make sure you don’t “interrupt yourself” by running to get more coffee or making a quick phone call. Use “butt glue” until the task is completed.

They are all very good suggestions, however, I am torn on using the external memory as much as possible. I think it’s important to use both your brain’s memory as well as your computer’s memory. We are becoming so used to looking into the Google oracle that we might be losing some of our natural memory ability or at least sending it into hibernation. To combat this, I still use flashcards to test my memory on an almost daily basis.

Here are 6 of my own tips from my goody bag of staying focused and productive:

1. Repeat a Productive Mantra - As you work, try repeating the phrase “I will complete this task 100%” or you might choose “100%” as your mantra. Drive a wedge deep into your brain about how important it is to achieve 100% on a task. Five tasks 1/2 done are useless compared to one task completed 100%. This is also a good visualization strategy. When you are thinking about your goals and the steps needed to complete them, think “How can I complete task A 100% today?” It gives you a direction and focus.It may sound corny, but there’s the old song “One day at a time sweet Jesus”. Sometimes I find myself humming “One task at a time sweet Jesus.” That may not be for everyone, but it is a powerful reminder to keep my eyes focused clearly ahead.
2. Get back in the game faster - If you fall of track as the Microsoft workers did, do you really need to be off track for a full 15 minutes? Of course not. You can get back on the horse in 30 seconds if you stay alert. Therefore, make a note to yourself to be alert to when you are off track and then get back to the original task as fast as you can. Make it a game. Shoot for 100% completion. This will require some dedication on your part to develop it as a habit. But as time goes on it gets easier with practice.
3. Seal your environment - I like to call this tip sealing the environment. This means closing off all distractions by arranging your physical environment. What works good for me is to seal myself off from distractions with these 4 steps:
   1. Close office door – Nothing distracts like other people busting in with their immediate demands. I’m as guilty of doing this others as others are of doing it to me. But one universal symbol of DND (do not disturb) is a closed door. At least with a door closed, they typically knock, allowing you the freedom of finishing up a thought or setting a reminder to get back on task in 5 minutes.
   2. Adopt an earplug strategy – Noise gets me every time. Whether it’s my daughter singing Going to the chapel at the top of her lungs or a server fan going bad, noise can take the wind out of my sails. For these occasions, I keep earplugs nearby so I can pop them in and get to work. Sometimes in-ear headphones will do the trick too as long as the music isn’t too distracting. It might surprise you that I can still carry on a brief conversation while wearing earplugs. They also send a visual cue to my people that I am busy and don’t want to be distracted. So when they see me wearing them, they often turn and go the other way – or they at least keep our impromptu meeting short.
   3. Sit at a different seat – If I really need to get in the zone and my mind isn’t cooperating, I change my environment entirely. I will turn my chair around facing the opposite direction. I’ll stand at a countertop or place my materials on a bookcase and work from there. I’ll go work in my car with the radio off if I have to. The important thing is breaking the cycle of distraction through environmental change.
   4. Turn off gadgetry – Set your phone, computer and PDA to the off position and prepare for takeoff.
4. Shoot for 100% completion of each task before moving on - When did it ever become acceptable to 1/2 finish a task before moving on? For as long as I can remember, my family called that doing something half-assed. Sure, that term doesn’t make a lick of sense, but it is motivating in a way. From now on, shoot for 100% on any task you start. Following Barbara’s tip from above, see if you can estimate how long your task will take before you start. Based on that estimate do you have enough time to finish 100%? If not, pick a task you can complete in the time you have and don’t stop until it’s done.There’s something wonderful about 100%. It’s the relief of a job well done – a job done completely. Shoot for 100% and you can look back at your days feeling as though you were successful.
5. Keep your eye out for boring - All tasks can get boring or tedious. At the point of boredom it’s easy to move on to something else. When you get stuck or bored, try to work through the problem instead of jumping on email or something easy. Not everything you do can be easy – especially when your goals get bigger and brighter. There is some hard work ahead, some of it is boring. Just be aware that boredom can be a trick – don’t fall for it. Fight your way through boredom and there is light on the other side.
6. Unplug Your Internet connection - Internet take me away! Surfing, Facebook, Google; they can all take you away from what you are doing. Remember the Microsoft study – all it takes is a beep or boop and you’ve lost 15 minutes. Solution? Unplug your Internet cable. Granted, this can be difficult for some IT workers. But by disconnecting the Internet connection over a “break” and turning off your phone for an hour during lunch can be some of the most productive time you have all day.

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