How to Set Achievable Daily Objectives

Sometimes I look back at my time in the Air Force and wonder how I got everything done . . . how did I get kids to soccer, stay credible in the airplane, do laundry and grocery shopping, and focus on my role as a commander and leader. The reality is that there were often times where I felt overwhelmed by multiple competing priorities . . . there just didn’t seem to be enough time in the day to get it all done. The only way I could keep my head above water was to get serious and deliberate about prioritizing. I didn’t always get this right, but here are a few ideas that can help with prioritizing tasks and making the most of your time: 1️⃣ Identify Your Goals/Priorities: Clearly define your objectives to focus on tasks that align with your priorities. 2️⃣ Prioritize Tasks: Conduct a thorough analysis of your daily tasks. Determine which tasks are urgent and important, and focus on completing those first. {I didn’t know about the Eisenhower Matrix then, but I find it highly effective now for prioritizing tasks.)   3️⃣ Delegate Responsibilities: Trust others to handle tasks not directly related to your core responsibilities, freeing up time for priorities. 4️⃣ Set Realistic Deadlines: Break down larger tasks into smaller steps with achievable deadlines to maintain steady progress. Micro/quick wins are also good for motivation. (I personally enjoy crossing items off of my to-do list.) 5️⃣ Learn to Say No: Be selective about new commitments to avoid overloading your schedule (sometimes easier said than done, and it’s helpful to have an accountability partner on this). 6️⃣ Block your Schedule: Consider setting aside specific blocks in your schedule for strategic thinking. Creating this space ensures that you are actively working toward your goals and objectives and not just getting bogged down in the weeds. 7️⃣ Review and Adjust: Regularly reassess your schedule and priorities to ensure they align with your goals, adjusting as needed. (I use a high tech sticky note and review/re-write at the end of each day). Whether you're a business professional, military member, entrepreneur, or student, effective time management is key to maintaining productivity and reducing stress. #Prioritization #ProfessionalDevelopment #PersonalDevelopment

Are you setting the bar so high that you're tripping over it? As we transition from Stress Awareness Month to Mental Health Awareness Month, it's vital to reflect on a common thread that weaves through both: 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴. Often, we aim for sky-high standards without realizing the immense pressure it creates, not just on our performance, but on our overall well-being. Last week, during a conversation, someone shared her experience. She expected to maintain her usual performance level daily, regardless of changes in her life. Does this resonate with you? While aiming high is commendable, it can be unrealistic without considering your current circumstances. Consider her situation: ▪️ A new, demanding training program at work. ▪️ Ongoing health complications. ▪️ Dysregulated sleep due to racing thoughts. Chances are, you have your own set of challenges. Yet, we seldom factor in these "somethings" when setting daily performance expectations. 𝗜’𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀. Here’s one strategy to help you: The Three-Column Reality Check This simple, evidence-based exercise helps you align your daily expectations with your real-world conditions, promoting a healthier, more balanced approach to achievement. 1️⃣ Column 1 - Task: Write down the key tasks you need to accomplish today. 2️⃣ Column 2 - Current Realities: For each task, list any current personal circumstances or external factors that could affect your ability to complete the task. This could be anything from health issues, family commitments, or tons of meetings. 3️⃣ Column 3 - Adjusted Expectation: Based on the realities listed, adjust your expectations for each task. For instance, if you are dealing with health issues, you might allocate more time to a task that normally would take less, or perhaps decide which tasks are less critical and can be postponed or delegated. By visually mapping out tasks alongside your personal realities, you can set more achievable goals that acknowledge your current situation. Let's rethink how we set our own bars. Not to lower our standards, but to refine them in ways that foster both achievement and well-being. If you’re navigating high expectations and could use more strategies, let’s connect.

I thought it would take only a few hours. Two days later, I finally finished. Home improvement projects tend to grow in scale and scope. The work I did on our garage this weekend was no exception. What started as a simple task grew. And grew. And grew some more. Until the project took the whole weekend. We’ve all seen it happen - work expands to fill the allotted time.  While I thought it would only be a few hours, knowing I had the whole weekend allowed the task to stretch out and take way longer than it should have. In the 1950s, historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson wrote a series of satirical essays, which he later expanded into a book titled “Parkinson’s Law: The Pursuit of Progress.” In it, the protagonist takes an entire day to send a postcard. The point is simple: “Work expands to fill the time available for its completion.” How do we escape this? There are a few ways: 1. Set SMARTER Goals/Tasks: You’ve likely heard of “SMART” method. The SMARTER approach adds two more steps - Evaluated and Reviewed. Having SMARTER goals will help you get things done and not fall prey to Parkinson’s Law. S - Specific: Goals should be clear and well-defined, answering the questions of who, what, where, when, why, and how. Have a clear finish line! Know what a "win" looks like. M - Measurable: Goals should be quantifiable, allowing progress to be tracked and assessed. This involves defining concrete criteria for success. A - Achievable: Goals should be realistic and attainable within the constraints of resources, time, and skill. R - Relevant: Goals should align with an overall objective or value proposition. Otherwise, it's a distraction. T - Time-bound: Goals should have a deadline. For avoiding the trap of Parkinson's Law, this is perhaps the MOST IMPORTANT step. E - Evaluated: Progress toward goals should be regularly assessed to ensure that actions are on track and to identify any necessary adjustments. Don't wait until close to the end of the time allotted to see that you aren't where you want to be. R - Reviewed: Goals should be periodically reviewed to assess their ongoing relevance and to make any necessary revisions based on changing circumstances or priorities. 2. Know the Next Thing: Have a clear list of prioritized tasks. Knowing what’s next increases the chance of completing the prior task on time. If you don’t know what task to move on to next, you may spend more time than necessary on the prior task. Keeping a prioritized To-Do list can help with this. 3. Reward Yourself Reward yourself when the task is complete. Knowing you have the option to take a break or go for a walk after finishing a task can provide the necessary motivation to complete it. Parkinson’s Law impacts everyone. Learning to overcome it can improve our focus and help us get things done. **** #productivity #mindset #leadership #growth #FocusAndFlow

Knowing movement is important, I once set the typical goal to walk 10k steps a day, but it actually backfired, discouraging me to the point of walking less. Here’s what I learned: It is commonly recommended to "Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars." 𝐈𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞, 𝐈 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐧, 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞. For me, 10k steps was such an ambitious goal that it felt unattainable, and I ended up getting discouraged and walking even less. So, I tried a different approach: 1️⃣ 𝐒𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐆𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬: Aimed for a more attainable goal as a 10-20% increase to my current reality. 2️⃣ 𝐒𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬: Turned goals into daily habits, like walking after meals or having walking meetings. 3️⃣ 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐄𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬: Linking a task that wasn't appealing at first with enjoyable ones, like listening to a podcast or walking to your favorite coffee shop. 4️⃣ 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬: Using a fitness tracker to measure daily movement. This is just an example; you can apply this approach to any challenging goal. *𝐹𝑢𝑛 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡: 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑜𝑎𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑎𝑙𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 10,000 𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑝𝑠 𝑎 𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑎 𝐽𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑖𝑔𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 1960𝑠, 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑠𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑐ℎ. 𝐴𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑡ℎ 𝑏𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑓𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑎𝑡 6,000 𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑝𝑠. _______ Interested in actionable tips for personal growth? Follow Jorge Luis Pando and subscribe to my weekly newsletter below:

The #1 Dream Killer You Need to Avoid... Every day, countless dreams get shelved in the name of 'one more day of preparation.' Don't let this be you. You're more ready than you think. I've seen brilliant minds holding back, waiting for a perfect moment that never arrives. They believe they're not ready, that they need: • one more book • one more course • one more spreadsheet • one more coaching session Your continuous preparation is just procrastination. And, the average person loses 55 days a year to procrastination. 15% of your time gone. And with it, opportunity. Here's the truth: Perfection is a myth. And, preparation has its limits. The world's most successful people aren't those who waited for the perfect plan. They're the ones who took a deep breath and stepped into the unknown. They understood that real learning and growth happen in the midst of action, not in endless planning. Execution is the great divider. Here's are 3 super simple steps you can take to start executing with what you know: 1/ Set a Specific, Achievable Goal for Today: Choose one small, concrete task that can be completed today. This could be as simple as: -writing the first paragraph of an article - drafting an outline for a project - making a key phone call The key is to ensure it's specific and achievable within one day. This is your catalyst for action. 2/ Create a Distraction-Free Environment: Dedicate a specific time and place to work on this task. Find a quiet space. Turn off notifications. Close unnecessary tabs. By minimizing distractions, you increase your focus and the likelihood of successfully completing the task. 3/ Reflect and Plan Next Steps at Day's End: After completing the day's goal, take a few minutes to reflect on what you've accomplished and how it felt. Then, plan the next small step for tomorrow. This reflection and planning process helps build momentum and turns taking action into a habit. Stop shelving your dreams in the name of 'preparedness'. Remember, the cost of waiting can be far greater than the cost of making a mistake. Mistakes are merely stepping stones to mastery. Embrace them. Every moment spent in procrastination is a moment lost in achieving your potential. So, ask yourself, are you truly unprepared, or are you underestimating your readiness? The skills you've honed. The knowledge you've acquired. The experiences you've lived through. They've shaped you more than you realize. It's time to shift from planning to doing. Start small. Start today. Your future self will thank you for the courage you show now. Embrace the journey of doing and growing. Because the best way to predict your future is to create it. — ♻️ Repost to help 1 person win. Thanks!

Throughout my career, I've relied on this goal-setting method that has consistently proven its worth. It has helped me achieve significant milestones, and I believe it can do the same for you. The GPS framework. 1. Goal: Start by defining your objective. Ask yourself: What is the goal? And back it up with 3Fs. Facts: What measurable outcomes will indicate success? Feelings: How do I expect to feel upon achieving it? Functionality: Why does this goal matter to me? Clear goals provide direction and purpose. According to a study by Dr. Gail Matthews, setting specific goals can increase your chances of success by 42%. 2. Plan: Next, develop a strategy that will guide you towards your goal. Break it down with: Broad Steps: What are the major actions I need to take? Details: What specific tasks need to be accomplished? A well-structured plan can help navigate the complexities of your goal, making it more manageable and achievable. 3. System: Finally, establish a routine to maintain your progress. Consider: Daily/Weekly Actions: What do I need to do regularly to stay on track? Consistency: How can I ensure I follow through? Systems create consistency, and consistency leads to success. James Clear, in his book Atomic Habits, highlights that incremental daily improvements lead to substantial long-term gains. Goal: Where you’re headed. Plan: How you’ll get there. System: How you’ll stay on track. This method has been very helpful for me to transform ambitious goals into actionable steps and sustained progress. Which framework has helped you achieve your recent goals? #gps #framework #goalsetting