Plan Case

To create your plan, I recommend you break your goal down into mini-milestones. For one thing, it's going to help you stay motivated. Working hard toward something that doesn't have an end result for a year or more is not a very motivating thing to do. We need results, feedback and validation that we're on track. And we need it constantly. Mini milestones create that for us.

Here is the best strategy I know for creating a clear and simple plan with mini-milestones:

* Plan your day before you start reading emails or checking voicemails. Take 10 to 20 minutes at the start of your work day to figure out what you need to get done and by when. Set priorities and realistic goals. Make sure the things at the top of your to-do list for the day are things that absolutely need to get done today. Work your way down the list with things that can be done at a later date toward the bottom of the list.

* Make sure the items you add to your list contribute to your overall project or business goals. Planning your day before you get inundated with emails and voicemails is a great way to establish some direction and lay a foundation for the day. Even better - if you can make the list the evening before, you'll be ready to get right to work as soon as you arrive.

* The other key to staying focused is to keep the plan in front of you visually. I like to create 'one page' plans that I can post on the bulletin board by my desk and refer to regularly. This gives me a line of sight to the bigger goal while also keeping me focused on the priorities at hand.

* Idea into action: Set aside an hour this week and work through this exercise for just one of your most important goals for this year. Map out your plan and then, work the plan. Notice how much more energised and focused you feel once you've got a plan mapped out.

The following tips will help you in developing your own:

1. Be honest about how much time you spend at work and why. Is it really necessary to work long, extra hours to accomplish your tasks and objectives, or are you regularly staying late for other reasons - to impress your boss and your peers or simply because you are not managing your time well during the day?

2. Manage your energy, not your time. Check your energy levels throughout the day and week. Leave work early one evening a week -- say Wednesday