11 Useful Tips To Help You Work On Your Goals Daily

How many times have you set a goal, worked on it for a month, and then given up or forgot about it? I know I’ve done that more times than I can count! For me, this happens when I don’t set aside enough time to work on the goal. A few days go by and then a week and then it’s been a whole month and I’ve done nothing!

Maybe you can relate to that problem? And I know it’s not always so simple. Life is busy… you have responsibilities that you can’t just put aside. But there HAS to be a way to keep working on your goals consistently?! 

There is a way! Goal progress comes from little tiny steps. So the obvious way to keep working on your goals and actually see some success is to focus on tiny little things you can do daily! Let’s dive in. 

Why you should work on your goals daily

The first and most obvious answer is because progress! As I mentioned in the intro, tiny steps are what creates progress. Doing one step every few weeks or months is ~still technically~ progress but it’s going to take you forever. 

The other reason is MOTIVATION. I won’t pretend that everyone is motivated all the time (because no one is). However, being consistent and seeing progress creates more motivation. So, working on your goals daily allows you to keep the motivation train going. 

Finally, you should work on your goals daily because consistency. You know the saying, “Practice makes perfect?” This is kind of like that, except without the perfect part because as Hannah Montana would say, “nobody’s perfect.” However, consistency is like a muscle; the more you do the work (engaging in your goals), the easier it gets. One day you’ll realize that you sit down every night for 30 minutes to work on your goals without any issues… that’s your consistency muscle working and creating HABITS! 

Related read: How To Stay Consistent With Your Goals (With Journal Prompts)

How to make time for your goals 

So, you are ready to work on your goals daily but you have a lot of stuff to do… you aren’t sure when you’ll have time for all this work. Here are some tips for making more time for your goals:

Schedule goal work into your calendar

Create space by putting it in your calendar like any other appointment. 

Wake up earlier 

Set that alarm for 30 minutes earlier so you can spend some time before work answering emails, engaging on social media, or whatever else you need to do to achieve your goals. 

Stay up later 

The obvious opposite option for night owls. Stay up an extra 30-40 minutes and work on your goals. 

Related read: How To Get Things Done When You’re Tired

Do some work during lunch 

If you are able to, set aside half your lunch break for goal work. I like to answer emails and work on my blog during my lunchtime at work! It’s not a ton of time but it’s still something.

Identify time wasters 

Do you scroll on your phone for an hour after dinner? Do you watch 3 episodes of your fav show before bed? Scroll less and watch 1 episode instead of 3 and boom, you have extra time! 

Get creative with goal work 

Sometimes there isn’t a ton of shifting around you can do in your day. I get it! Have kids that do multiple sports and also work a full-time job? Yeah, there’s no time! So learn something new on your commute (listen to a podcast), start writing a blog post (by talking to your notes app), or get your partner involved so “family time” can also be goal work time (not all the time though).

For more tips on making time for your goals, read this post: How To Make Time For Your Goals

Ways you can work on your goals daily 

Now you have a better idea of how to make time for your goals and why it even matters, so let’s jump into the actual things you can do to work on your goals daily. 

1 – make a to-do list and stick to it 

Start by making a nice, long, brain-dump-style to-do list of all the important things you need to do to achieve your goal. 

If your goal is to start a business your list may include:

• Come up with the business name
• Create a website
• Make a business plan
• Get a business credit card 

If your goal is to renovate your house your list may include:

• Call contractors 
• Pick paint colors 
• Get wood from home depot 
• Order new door handles 

If your goal is to lose weight your list may include:

• Make a grocery list
• Create a workout schedule
• Order new shorts 
• Throw out unhealthy foods 

You get the point! Your list can be long including all the steps or just immediate steps, whatever you want.

Then each day pick ONE task off your to-do list (or even part of a task if it’s too big for one day). That way you are consistently moving forward in a structured way.

2 – schedule your goal work for a specific time 

If you can work on your goal at the same time every day that will make your life easier and make it a habit much faster! 

3 – do it with a friend 

Get a friend to set a goal with you and then work on it together. You can quickly send each other a text every day checking in and holding each other accountable.

4 – journal 

Mindset work is a huge part of achieving your goals. Starting a daily journal habit can help you work on your goals without always focusing on a task. 

Related read: The Benefits Of Journaling And How To Start A Journal Practice

5 – set a timer 

Decide on the task you will work on and then set a timer for 30 minutes. See how much you can do in that time without looking at your phone, watching TV, or talking to anyone. Just focus on your goals and the task at hand. At the end of the 30 minutes, you can stop if that’s all the time you have (or energy). Or keep going! 

Goal achievement is about accountability

At the end of the day, you are the only person who can make your goals happen. I can tell you how to make time for your goals and give you some tips on working on them daily but it’s YOU who puts it into practice. 

My TV time is seriously down. I hardly watch TV anymore. I use my bath time (I have nightly baths) as blogging time. My mornings include an earlier wake-up so I have time to engage with my socials, post to the blog, and answer emails for my freelance business. 

I hold myself accountable to the promises I made to myself. Is it always perfect? Of course not. Some nights I’m simply too tired to have a cohesive thought so I don’t blog. Some mornings I am a zombie so I don’t look at my phone until later. 

Life is about balance and you SHOULD practice self-compassion. However, remember that you are the only one working on your goals. Taking a day or two off is okay, taking a month off is hurting future you. Just something to think about 🤍

What goals are you working on right now? Do you try to make small progress daily?