1.

Action: Daily goals force us to think in terms of concrete action steps, rather than just
lofty goals. For example, committing to write every day, even if it’s just a page or a
paragraph or two, is better than just having a big goal to write a novel. Goals can’t be
pie in the sky – something you’ll never do. The basic idea is to get you moving toward
your goal on a daily basis.

2. Prioritization: There is a limit to the number of daily goals you can realistically
accomplish. That’s a good thing because it forces us to decide what really matters.
Clear out the clutter and isolate what it is you really want to accomplish. The longer your
list, the less likely you’ll accomplish any of them. Concentrate on no more than four daily
goals at a time.

3. Mini-goals: Daily goals must be limited in time. We can’t have three daily goals that
each take an hour. It’s not realistic. Yet mini-goals are powerful when repeated daily.
They can related to your finances, health, relationships, or any area of your life.
Because mini-goals are doable, you increase the likelihood of accomplishing them and
making progress toward larger goals.

4. Routine: We accomplish big things by consistently doing small things every day. The
key then is to convert your mini-goals into daily habits.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle

My Daily Goals
Goals will be different for each of us. I’ve come up with a list of 15 to give you some
ideas. The first four are on my list of daily goals for 2015.

1. Make my bed – It adds order to your day. It’s the beginning of my daily routine, and
everything else will flow from that one initial act. It may seem silly, but it really does set
the tone for the day.

2. Read – I want to read 52 books for the year, but I’ll have to do that by reading every
day. The amount of time spent doing this will vary each day, but for me, it’s important to
add this to may daily goals.

3. Write – I write all the time, but the daily goal here is specific to the book(s) that I want
to write this year. This will enable me to make progress every single day toward my
larger goal of publishing a book. Some days I may write a few thousand words, others
just a few hundred. But I want to make daily progress.

4. Stretch – Even though I exercise every day, I’m not very limber, so this is important
to me. It may only take one or two minutes each day, but it’s a goal that I want to move
toward.
5. Write down what you eat – This is especially important if you’re trying to lose
weight. Knowing exactly what you eat can be eye-opening, and it can help you to make
beneficial changes in your diet. There’s an application called MyFitnessPal that can help
you record what you eat as well as your exercise and weight.

6. Write down what you spend – This is the same as #5, but applying it to finances. It
will affect how much you spend, and how you spend it. You can try using a budgeting
software program, like YNAB to help you do this. Seeing what you spend your money
on, and how much, is powerful. It can help you to see where you need to make
changes, and make it easier to reach longer term financial goals.

7. The One Big Thing – Pick one thing to accomplish each day – it gives your day
purpose. This makes you do something significant and new, apart from your daily
routine. It can actually be either big or small, but it will add a new dimension to your day.

8. Meditate/pray – This can be faith based but it doesn’t have to be. I will have a
profound effect. Life is hectic and pulls us in multiple directions. Taking a few minutes
each day to take a time out – away from the continuous motion that causes so much of
the stress we face – can help you to stay centered. Think of it as a respite that allows
you to slow down and re-focus yourself on what’s really important, including some of the
goals you’ve set for yourself.

9. Exercise – We should get some form of exercise, even if it isn’t a big plan, like
joining a gym. You can do something as simple and low stress as just taking a walk for
a mile or two. Exercise improves your overall health and energy level, and that has
benefits for every other area of your life.

10. Learn Something New – This doesn’t mean learning calculus! You may learn
something new from casual sources like the newspaper or the internet. It could be
something that will help you to be more productive, but it can also be something that
simply interests you.Write down what you learn – you can use a system like Evernote to
make it easier. That will allow you to look back and see your progress and assess how
to blend what you’ve learned into your life. It also helps to keep you on a path of
perpetual learning, and that’s one of those habits that keeps paying dividends.

11. Do something different every day – Go to work a different way; go to lunch

somewhere new; try something new – anything. It can be big one day, and small the
next. This helps you to break out of your routine in at least small ways.

12. De-clutter one item (or one space) – Throw it away, give it away, or sell it. Pick
one item, one space, one room, one closet, one drawer, one box, and clear it of all but
the most essential content. Why is this a good goal? Because when you simplify your
physical environment, you simplify your life.

13. Drink 64 oz. of water – I do this already, and I’m actually trying to reach 100 oz. It
doesn’t take any time at all, and it has so many benefits. It cleanses your system, keeps
your energy level up, and fills you up so that you don‘t feel a need to eat in between
meals.

14. Write down something or someone you are thankful for – There’s plenty to be
thankful for, even much more than we think. It could be people or situations or
accomplishments, or maybe something in the world you’re happy about. We’re
inundated with negatives all the time, so this is a chance to focus on the positives, and
to develop a thankful attitude.

15. Master Your Mornings – More specifically, master the first two hours of your day.
Morning time is critical because it sets the tone for the whole day. It’s about living the
first few hours intentionally. It may not be related to production. It could be spending
time with family, or even spending some important “me time”.

Come up with your own list of three, four or five daily goals that will make a difference in
your life. Forget about your new year’s resolutions – adding productive daily goals to
your routine can be life changing.