How To Get More Done

To paraphrase time-management expert Julie Morgenstern: "Don't just jump into the fray of your day; in fact, try to avoid the fray entirely. Sit down for five to ten minutes before the start of the workday (better yet, the night before) to plan what needs to be done and when."

I often wake up in the shower each workday morning by deciding upon the one or two main goals I want to accomplish. The rest of the day is limbo; if I get ten visitors in my office I'll be doing well to hit those goals, and if not then I should be able to surpass them. The key is to have something to hold onto, that small symbol of success, when I'm tempted to read an extra ten e-mails that would otherwise distract me.

Many days I hit the goals, and too many days I don't. Those latter days are shrinking though. Defining what success will be at the start of the day helps keep me energized when I reach the end, without searching for a reason to feel satisfied about what I've accomplished. Often, the discipline it takes to stay focused on those goals derives as much sense of victory as anything, even more so than the value of the completed task itself.