Do you set daily goals? I find that having goals each day helps me to stay focused and get more done. A few things I’ve learned about setting daily goals:
Don’t overwhelm yourself. If your to-do list for today is: (1) Clean out the garage, (2) Write a book, (3) Bring peace to the Middle East…well, you may be setting yourself up to fail. Your daily list should only contain tasks you have a reasonable chance of completing that day.
You can still have a master list of all of those things you want or need to do, but your list for a single day should only include what you plan to do that day. Listing 127 tasks and completing six of them does not lead to a feeling of accomplishment. Especially if you added eight tasks to your list that day. However, planning to accomplish six things, and doing so, feels good. Be realistic about what you can do in one day.
Set aside some focused time. I will set a timer for 15 minutes, 45 minutes or some other amount of time, and work only on a specific task. No checking email, no “just one phone call,” no checking eBay or Twitter. Just work on the task. It’s amazing how much you can get done without distractions.
And one more thing: I set my daily goals the evening before. It makes it easier to dive right into the day, first thing in the morning.
So, get started on your daily goals and see what you accomplish.
Reg your comment that “your list for a single day should only include what you plan to do that day”: I’ve heard some people, including a couple of time-management/organization experts, say they find it helpful to list a _few_ more tasks than they expect to accomplish, because “if you list four you accomplish only four; if you list twelve you may accomplish ten.” I do not use this approach myself; it’s too dangerous a mix with my personal inclinations. If I have a single To-Do item still uncompleted by bedtime, I feel compelled to stay up until 3 a.m., if necessary, to finish it “on schedule.”
I’d be interested in hearing which approach works better for others.
I will usually have a couple more than I really expect to get done, but they are sort of “provisional” items. Meaning, if I get everything else done, then do those items. Otherwise, they are the beginning of the next day’s list.
I work best from a master list for the week. This gets divided into different days, with room to move things to a different day if necessary. Those that will pick the easy tasks first…this might not work for you. This gives me a “big picture” look at my week, which is good for me.
Great idea! I like the idea of having an overall view of your week, and I think the weekly method can also be good for people who may require flexibility due to family responsibilities or chronic health issues. They may need to be able to slot in an “easy day” with little or no notice.