5 Good Ways to Make Steady Progress on Your Goals & Projects

1. Schedule a specific time and day to work on the goal ? just as if it were an appointment. Don't just wait for "someday" to work on it. It will always get bumped by more urgent (but not necessarily more important) tasks unless you make it a priority. Carving out a specific time to work on the project will make sure it finds its way onto your to-do list.

2. Do a little at a time. How much progress could you makeif you had 36 hours to work on your goal? If you work only10 minutes a day on a goal, that's 36 hours a year!

3. Write this note on a post-it: "What have I done today towork on __________ ?" (write your goal on the blank line)

Put it where you'll see it right before you go to bed,and ask yourself what you have done that day on thegoal. If your answer is "nothing," get up thenext day and resolve to work harder and smarter.

4. Work with a partner. Make a wager that you have to buyhim or her lunch if you don't complete certain tasks by aspecified date (deadlines give us structure and focus).

5. Ask yourself: "How will I feel if I never complete thisgoal?" Remind yourself that you deserve the success and happiness that comes from setting & achieving interestinggoals.

Shari Peace is an international speaker, an author, and the president of Peace Talks, a professional speaking firm that helps organizations and people to get more done. Her book, Crank It Out! How to Get More Done ? At Work & In Your Life, features tips for smart time management and improved productivity. Reach her at http://www.sharipeace.com