Goal Setting and To-Do Lists

Yesterday I posted about ways to help you work through your task list, but how do you know which order to do your tasks in? The first thing I do is create a to-do list. Start by listing all the tasks you need to complete. Having a clear view of your tasks is the first step in choosing what order to do them in. After creating my list, I then use a great tool called the Eisenhower Matrix that helps me prioritise tasks by how urgent and important they are. If you search online you can see how to draw the matrix, it's a simple diagram that allows you to put tasks into 4 categories: ⚠ Urgent and Important: These are top priority tasks that require immediate attention, like deadlines or emergencies. 💡 Important but Not Urgent: These tasks are significant but don't require immediate action. They are often related to long-term goals, planning, and personal growth. 😵 Urgent but Not Important: These tasks demand immediate attention but may not contribute significantly to your long-term goals. They can include interruptions or distractions. These are some of the worst types of tasks for getting in your way of achieving your goals. 😴 Neither Urgent nor Important: These are tasks that can be put on the back burner or delegated because they have minimal impact on your goals. Each of the quadrants on the diagram is associated with an action: ✔ Urgent and important tasks are labelled as "Do First". Get them put into your diary to do immediately. ✔ Important but not urgent tasks should be labelled as "Schedule" (and don't forget to schedule them!). ✖ Urgent but not important tasks should be labelled as "Delegate", or in some cases you may just want to push back and say "no". If it's not important, does it actually need to be done? ❌ Neither urgent nor important tasks should be tagged as "Don't Do" and take them off your list! See, we're getting rid of tasks already and we haven't even started doing them, whoop whoop! There are a few other things I consider when looking at my tasks: ❓ Consider Deadlines. If you have looming deadlines, they should often take precedence. But don't let a task's urgency overshadow its importance. Sometimes, long-term projects need attention even if there's no immediate deadline. ❓ Evaluate Impact and Consequences. Think about the potential impact each task has on your goals or the business. Consider the consequences of not completing a task and the benefits of completing it. ❓ Time and Energy Management. Take your own energy levels and the time of day into account. If you're most productive in the morning, tackle your most critical tasks then. Save routine or less demanding tasks for when your energy dips. My slump is around 3-4pm so I tend to keep that time for admin or fun tasks that are less pressured. Experiment with different methods and find what works best for you. It's all about aligning your efforts with your goals and making the most of your time and resources. #TaskManagement #Prioritising

I've set goals and failed to achieve them. I've written down goals and never hit them (here is why). - I didn't integrate my goals into my daily activities. - I didn't make my goals smart ( it was a wish list). If you write goals more like a wish list, here is what happens... - Unimportant tasks will take priority. - You won't have daily actions to move you closer to your goals. - Your action taking will be inconsistent / make it up as you go along. But there is something worse... You'll lose confidence in achieving your goals. It will create doubt. You'll have a sneaking suspicion your goals are impossible. It becomes a vicious circle. You don't take the goals seriously, so you fail to hit them. You doubt the goal is possible, so you don't want to put effort into them. It's vicious circle that confirms you can't achieve your goals. BUT if you do want to hit your goals, you need to make them smart. You need SMART goals - goals that are clear and actionable. SPECIFIC - MEASURABLE - ACTIONABLE - RELEVANT - TIME-BASED Write down your SMART goals. Then diarise the actions you need to take. Example: Specific: Get more leads per week from social media. Measurable: 4 Leads per week. Actionable: Posting 3 times per week, grow my network, offering a lead magnet to new connections. Relevant: More connections will increase my reach, leads will help me win clients. Time-bound: By 7th May 2024, I'll be getting 4 leads per week. SMART goals are the way to achieve things. Set your goals, make them SMART and work on them every day.

Yesterday I took the entire revenue team (sales, cs, marketing) off the floor for out for a very specific training. Goal Setting. Yep. The entire org for over 60 min together learning how to set and achieve goals. I do this 2x a year with my teams. Why? Because most people never accomplish their goals because they never actually set them and never actually create a plan to achieve them. I've gotten pretty dang good at setting goals. I've gotten pretty dang good at achieving goals. It makes life so much more fun. So here are the key concepts I teach in goal settting. 1. Set a goal in each of the 5 buckets. Self. Health. Wealth. Proffessional. Experience. 2. Identify the Keystone Goal - Which goal if achieved will have the biggest impact on all the rest. 3. Who do you need to BE in order to achieve this goal - How would this person act, work, communicate, behave, etc 4. What do you need to BELIEVE to achieve this goal - this combined with number 3 is where we create our affirmations. 5. Why do you want this goal - aka what will change in your world when you achieve it - If nothing changes... nothing changes. 6. What are you done dealing with now/whats the negative of NOT achieving your goal - Having a negative is important when things get hard. 7. Why you Why Now - Why are you capable of achieving this goal, what traits, resources, etc do you have that allow you to believe you can do this. 8. What are your 3x3s - 3 things daily, weekly, and monthly that if done will give you your best shot at achieving - Example - Put workout clothes out the night before with the alarm across the room - that would be a good daily for health 9. Make it visual - Vision boards (we will be doing this in a couple weeks as a team) - but also visualize it each morning, each evening, not just the accomplishing of the goal, but the process to achieve it. 10. Accountability - Share it with people that not only want to see you win, but also with people that won't allow you to lose/will hold you to the fire. --- All written out by each individual and then my challenge to them is to read it every morning and every night for 60 days. Watch what happens when you do. A team that sets goals together, wins together. I can't wait to see so many of theirs goals, so many of their affirmations, and so many of their achievements. This is going to be good ya'll. Just wait and see. PS - this is one of the most popular modules in the Sales Leadership Accelerator in fact it's unlocked right out the gate for all members. PPS - I'll be doing this workshop at Pavilion GTM in a few weeks as well here in Austin. Lets set and smash some goals ya'll!

Ever feel like you're drowning in a sea of tasks, unsure which ones deserve your attention? It's time to transform your to-do list from a source of stress to a roadmap for #success. Enter the 3 P's of Prioritization - your compass for navigating the chaos: 1. Purpose: Does it align with your overall goals? Action: List your top 3 goals for the quarter. For each task, ask: "Does this directly contribute to at least one of these goals?" 2. #Passion: Does it energize and motivate you? Action: Rate each task on a scale of 1-10 for excitement. Prioritize those scoring 7 or higher, and consider delegating or eliminating low-scoring items. 3. Proficiency: Are you the best person for the task? Action: Evaluate your skill level for each task. If you're not the ideal person, can you delegate or outsource it to someone more qualified? By applying these criteria, you'll not only boost #productivity but also find greater fulfillment in your work. Remember, it's not about doing more - it's about doing what matters most. What's your biggest prioritization challenge? Share below, and let's problem-solve together! Follow Sagar Amlani

Here's what we all know about self-development: It's a great idea in theory, but we struggle with follow-through. We have the best of intentions at the start, right? And yet, our best laid plans seems to fizzle within a short time. This tells me that goal-setting for self-development is not enough. What's also needed is a contingency plan for when our plans inevitably go off the rails. Consider the following, common challenges to self-development. To stay on track, ask yourself: 1️⃣ Lack of Clear, Achievable Goals ➡️How can you create specific, measurable, actionable, realistic, and time-bound (SMART) goals? ➡️How can you break down larger goals into smaller, actionable steps? 2️⃣ Difficulty Creating and Following a Structured Plan ➡️What time slots can you dedicate to self-development? ➡️How can you ensure that these time blocks are treated as non-negotiable? ➡️What tools (planners, apps) can you use to track your progress? 3️⃣ Struggling with Distractions ➡️What distractions typically pull you away from your self-development activities? ➡️How can you create a more distraction-free environment? ➡️How will you manage digital distractions, such as phone notifications or social media? 4️⃣ Inconsistent Routine ➡️How can you integrate self-development into your regular routine? ➡️What steps can you take to start small and gradually build the habit? 5️⃣ Lack of Accountability ➡️Who can be your accountability partner? ➡️What other groups or communities can help? ➡️How often will you check in? 6️⃣ Losing Sight of Your Purpose ➡️How often do you reconnect with your “why” to stay motivated? ➡️How can visualizing your success help you stay focused on your goals? 7️⃣ Energy and Well-Being Management ➡️How are your energy levels affecting your ability to focus on self-development? ➡️What adjustments can you make to your rest, exercise, or diet to support better focus? ➡️How can you incorporate regular breaks to prevent burnout? 8️⃣ Difficulty Staying Motivated ➡️What rewards will you give yourself after completing key milestones? ➡️How will you celebrate small wins along the way? 9️⃣ Overcoming Setbacks and Reflecting ➡️What weekly review process can you implement to reflect on your progress? ➡️How can you adjust your self-development plan based on the challenges you’ve encountered? 🔟 Staying Flexible ➡️How will you adapt your plan when unexpected distractions or challenges arise? Get 50+ of my best, brain-based resources for FREE & subscribe to my newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gsvzggqJ ____________________________ If you like my posts: ➡️ follow me at Pamela Coburn-Litvak ➡️ Ring the 🔔 for notifications ♻️Share this post with your network #selfdevelopment #goals #professionaldevelopment #neurocoachinggroup

You’re overcomplicating what it takes to reach your goals. (7 Steps to Keep Things Simple) Goal setting is great until you overthink it. Setting goals should: • Drive consistent action • Keep you accountable • Give you direction • Motivate you Setting goals shouldn’t: • Keep you stuck in planning mode • Distract you with busy work • Overwhelm you • Create fear Here’s how to keep things simple & actually reach your goals: Focus on Systems, Not Just To-Do Lists ↳ If I could only focus on one process, what would it be? ↳ Is my system making success easier or harder? Cut the Decision Fatigue ↳ What daily decisions can I remove or simplify? ↳ What’s one thing I can stop doing? Follow the 80/20 Rule (Pareto Principle) ↳ What’s driving most of my progress right now? ↳ What’s the biggest time-waster in my day? Assume You Already Know What To Do ↳ If I had to take the next step right now, what would it be? ↳ If I had no outside advice, what would I trust myself to do? Set ‘Wins’ Instead of Just Big Goals ↳ What three things would make today feel productive? ↳ Am I focused on progress or just staying busy? Keep a ‘1-Page Strategy’ ↳ If I had to explain my goal in one sentence, what would it be? ↳ Am I making this harder than it needs to be? Take Action Before You Feel Ready ↳ What’s stopping me from starting right now? ↳ What’s the worst-case scenario if I act now? Is it really that bad? Simplicity cuts through confusion.  It builds momentum.  It puts you back in control. The less you overthink, the more you’ll accomplish. Helpful?  ♻️Please share to help others. 🔎Follow Michael Shen for more. #Simplicity #PersonalDevelopment #GoalSetting

In the race to achieve success, it's not always about how fast you're moving but where you're headed. Focusing on direction ensures your efforts lead to meaningful outcomes, while speed without purpose can leave you spinning in circles. What steps are you taking to align your path with your goals? Let's discuss! Aligning your path with your goals ensures you stay on track and make meaningful progress. Here are the top 4 strategies to help you focus on direction: Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) • Clearly state your goals. • Define 2-5 measurable success indicators. • Plan activities to achieve key results. • Commit to goals and the process. • Track progress regularly. • Reflect on outcomes. • Align individual OKRs with team and organization. • Set challenging goals that push you beyond your comfort zone. SMART Goals • Specific: Be specific in your goal definition (who, what, where, why). • Measurable: Make it measurable to track progress and completion. • Achievable: Assess achievability with current resources/skills. • Relevant: Ensure relevance to your values and long-term objectives. • Time-bound: Set a realistic deadline for urgency. • Regularly evaluate; adjust as needed. • Celebrate milestones for motivation. Backward Goal-Setting • Visualize the end goal in detail. • Set milestones working backward. • Identify steps for each milestone. • Allocate necessary resources. • Assign timeframes based on the end goal. • Start with the nearest step. • Be flexible and adjust when needed. • Regularly review the plan for alignment. ABCDE Method • List tasks you need to do. • Categorize tasks: A (most important), B (important), C (nice to do), D (delegate), E (eliminate). • Prioritize tasks within each category. • Identify barriers to starting on A tasks. • Focus on 'A' tasks until completed. • Delegate 'D' tasks to free up time. • Eliminate 'E' tasks that don't align with your goals. • Regularly review and adjust categories and priorities. Focusing on direction with these strategies will help ensure your efforts lead to meaningful outcomes. Let's discuss how you're aligning your path with your goals!

Hopes and dreams are fundamental to entrepreneurship, but clinging to them can be a death knell for operating businesses. Once you have money on the table, and the responsibility of payroll, you need an actionable plan. You need reasonable public goals and a means to to track them in real time. Each of your goals needs an actionable To Do List. Each To Do List needs to be delegated to the appropriate team and tracked for timely completion. There are too many operators in the cannabis space that are simply hoping for prices to go up. They are hoping for ‘the market to come back.’ We are 5.5% through 2025. Are you 5.5% through your goals for 2025? Are you tracking them in real time, publicly, so your whole team is aware of how their work so far measures up vs your targets? Do you have month by month or week by week KPIs to ensure that the things you think will improve your business are actually getting done? Do you feel like your team is 100% aligned around a singular goal? Could you even articulate a singular goal that reflects the forward looking path of your company? Set the goal. Build the tracking apparatus. Track the goal publicly. Build the to do list. Get to work.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and lose focus. It's easy to say you're going to get to a task later. Even if that task makes it to a to-do list, that list can become a never-ending reminder of tasks not done. 📝 I am passionate about #TimeManagement As a frazzled new Sales Leader, I realized quickly that I needed to actively manage my time. I couldn't lose days where I worked my a** off all day and then asked myself - what the heck did I even do today? As a Founder, owning my time became a renewed passion. For the first time, ever, I get to decide exactly how to spend my days and I want to spend them doing work that drives impact and joy. One of my favorite time management techniques is having a to-do list that I actually use. To-do lists are a STRUGGLE for me. Two tips if you also struggle with to-do lists: ❌ If the task will take more than an hour to complete, don't put it on a to-do list. ❌ If the task doesn't need to be done in the next 1-2 weeks, don't put it on a to-do list. ✅ If you relate to those struggles, skip straight to step 4: DIARISE I created and follow this Flow Your To-Do List Framework for every other task. The Flow Framework is built on four pillars: DO, DELEGATE, DELETE, and DIARISE. 1. DO: For tasks that are both important and urgent, action is key. These are the tasks that need to be completed in the next 1-2 weeks. If a task is critical, it’s worth your immediate focus. 2. DELEGATE: You can’t do everything, and that’s okay. Delegate tasks that don’t require your personal touch. Whether it's automating, outsourcing, or assigning them to your team, delegating frees you on tasks that make the biggest impact or bring you the most joy. 3. DELETE: Not every task deserves your attention. If something isn’t essential or isn’t aligned with your goals, it’s time to let it go. Free yourself from low-priority tasks that don’t push you forward. 4. DIARISE: Some tasks aren’t urgent but still important. These are the ones you diarise—scheduled for later, using time-blocking or goal-setting techniques. By diarising larger, long-term tasks, you ensure they get done without overwhelming your current workload. ✅ PRO TIP: Use the PATH goal-setting framework to diarise major tasks, breaking them down into smaller steps that are easier to manage. Want to help your team improve their time management skills? Let's talk about time management training using the Flow & PATH Frameworks. Drop "PATH" in the comments to learn more.

A to-do list is one of the ways your present self can really help your future self. Four out of five people use a to-do list. You’re probably one of them. But do you make the most of it? 47% of people have a lengthy to-do list on most days. Long to-do lists can be a source of stress in themselves. Picture this. You sit down to work. You open up a long to-do list. As you look up and down the list, you become aware of several pressing issues. There’s a slight feeling of panic. Then, even once you complete a task, two new ones have appeared. It feels like you're stuck in a never-ending loop. Frustration builds. Stress takes over. 🚫 Priorities are unclear. 🚫 You feel anxious. 🚫 You feel overwhelmed. 🚫 You’re at risk of burn-out. Sound familiar? But this loop is merely a sign that you’re not using your to-do list well. Break out of this negative loop. Take control of your to-do list before it takes control of you. Here’s how:  1. Use one digital list.   2. See it as a memory aid.  3. Start each item with a verb.  4. Prioritise it and keep it prioritised.  5. Break tasks down so they’re manageable.  6. Get the few vital to-do list items into your calendar — timebox them.   7. Know what feeds your to-do list.  8. Review and reflect every so often (timebox that too!) Focus on what really matters. The rest? Let it go. A well-managed to-do list will bring you: 🧘🏽 Reduced stress. 🎯 Increased focus. 🚀 Higher productivity. 🤽🏽♀️ Better work-life balance. ⏳ A basis on which to timebox properly. Start today. Take a look at your list. What can you remove? What can wait? Take 10 minutes to sort it from the most urgent/important to the least. You'll be amazed at how much more you can accomplish by doing the right kind of less. Your boss, customers, team, head, heart and spirit will thank you! Was this useful? Please REPOST to help people in your network do the right things better ♻️. Follow me, Marc Zao-Sanders, for practical tips on timeboxing and technology.