Planning Weekly Goals for Better Outcomes

Here’s another Pinterest image circulating SM designed to motivate you, but it falls short of any real value. Here’s why. Yesterday, a client of mine sent me the attached photo of this "List of Habits" and asked me for my opinion. My answer in one word:  Garbage. We've all seen that specific list of daily habits, "you're ahead of 99% of the population,” yada yada (and yada). Let’s debunk “The 99% Club Myth” once and for all and examine what the research shows: 1) "Deep Work: 4 hours daily" ✅ 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸: According to Microsoft's 2023 Work Trend Index, 69% of employees struggle to find enough time for deep work. 💡 𝗧𝗿𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱: Schedule two 60-minute distraction-free blocks daily (phone off, notifications disabled, door closed) rather than chasing the elusive 4-hour goal. 2.) "10,000 Steps Daily" ✅ 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸: A 2023 JAMA Open study found that Americans average 4,800 steps daily. Only 7% of U.S. adults consistently achieve 10,000+ steps. 💡 𝗧𝗿𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱: Focus on consistency by adding just 1,000 steps to your current baseline, then working up gradually, to reach health gains occurring between 4,000-7,500 steps. 3.) "Exercise 3x Weekly" ✅ 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸: The 2023 American Heart Association Statistical Update shows just 24.2% of adults engage in adequate leisure-time physical activity. 💡 𝗧𝗿𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱: Anchor physical activity to existing daily routines (like a 7-minute strength circuit after brushing teeth) to bypass motivation entirely. 4.) "Save 20% Per Paycheck" ✅ 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸: According to The Bureau of Economic Analysis, the January 2024 report shows the current personal savings rate at 3.8%. 💡 𝗧𝗿𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱: Automate a 5% savings contribution now (which already beats the national average), then increase by 1% every six months until you reach your target. 5.) "Sleep 8 Hours" ✅ 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸: Gallup's 2023 sleep survey found Americans average 6.8 hours nightly, with only 31% regularly achieving 8+ hours. 💡 𝗧𝗿𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱: Create a non-negotiable 30-minute wind-down ritual (no screens, dim lights, same time nightly) that signals your brain it's time to transition to rest. 6.) "Read 10 Pages Daily" ✅ 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸: Pew Research Center's 2023 reading survey found that 30% of Americans report not reading a book in the past year. Statista's 2023 media consumption data shows Americans spend an average of just 16.2 minutes daily reading books or e-books. 💡 𝗧𝗿𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱: Place a book where you waste time (next to your phone charger, bathroom, TV remote) and commit to reading just one page before engaging with the distraction. 𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗧: Creating unrealistic standards doesn't motivate—it discourages. The reality is that consistent, moderate #habits serve most people better than arbitrary perfection. Coaching can help; let's chat. Follow Joshua Miller

Every week for the past five years, I’ve calculated a single number that determines whether I’ve been productive. It isn’t a revenue or product-related stat. It’s the percentage of my time spent on tasks I actually PLANNED to do. Giving yourself a weekly success score doesn’t work for everyone, but it’s been an insane productivity hack for me because it gives visibility into my work AND gives me something to improve upon. This concept came from Intercom co-founder Des Traynor, who created the perfect Venn diagram of productivity: find the overlap between your email, your to-do list, and your calendar so you can stop letting everyone else control your time. The solution is to track how much of your time aligns with your intentions, AKA your alignment score. Here’s what to do, using this doc that lets you sync your email, calendar, and to-do list: https://lnkd.in/gHyBvgKv 1. Work through your emails and identify which ones have actions. 2. Turn the emails into entries on your to-do list. 3. Slot each entry into a specific time block on your calendar (the template will do it for you). 4. Now, your to-do list has two new columns: when you’re supposed to work on a task and where it came from. At the end of the week, you get a chart that shows what percentage of your time is spent on your planned to-dos vs. reactive work. The system triages emails into different buckets, ensures the important ones make it to your to-do list, merges them with what you already planned to accomplish, then helps you allocate time for each task. Try calculating your score for a month and see what changes! And don’t feel bad if you’re not at 100%—for me, any week that crosses 50% is a good week. 🙂 Are there any productivity hacks you swear by?

Want to be more productive? Approach your work week like a science experiment. Every Friday, I set aside 15 minutes to reflect on my week. I use a simple process: 1. I review my timeboxed calendar and note when I did what I said I would do and when I got distracted. 2. I use my distraction tracker to identify what pulled me off course. Was it an internal trigger like boredom? An external trigger like a notification? Or a planning problem? 3. Based on this data, I adjust my strategy. For example, I may need to remove an app from my phone or schedule office hours to reduce interruptions. Treating your productivity as an ongoing, iterative process will help move you closer to the most effective, focused version of yourself.  My weekly newsletter shares other science-backed productivity and focus insights. If you liked this post, you’ll love the newsletter. Subscribe at the link in my bio!

Your habits determine your income. Period. I’ve managed 110 reps delivering $190M annually. And the ONE thing I’ve learned about the top performers was that they were NOT more talented. They had better systems. Small habits compound into massive results. The rep who plans their day the night before outperforms the one who wings it. The rep who time blocks their calendar crushes the one who lets meetings scatter randomly. Bad habits cost you money: → Checking Slack every 5 minutes kills deep work → Reactive calendars lead to reactive results → No daily priorities means busy work wins → Context switching destroys productivity Good habits make you money: → Color coding your calendar by IPAs → Time blocking similar tasks together → Planning tomorrow today, every day → Eating the frog (hardest task first) I've seen reps transform their results just by implementing simple systems. The 5-minute daily journal. The Pomodoro technique. Focus mode on their devices. It's not about working harder. It's about working with intention. Your current habits got you your current results. If you want different results, you need different habits. The difference between a $200K rep and a $500K rep isn't talent. It's systems. Elite performers have elite habits. Average performers have average habits. Here's the truth. Your productivity tools should serve you, not control you. Most reps are slaves to their inbox, their Slack notifications, their scattered calendar. Top performers design their environment. They batch similar tasks. They eliminate distractions. They protect their deep work time like it's sacred. Because it is. That's where the money is made. Stop hoping for better results. Start building better habits. - Sales Leaders! Want to discover what systems your team is missing that could unlock serious revenue growth? Find out exactly where your sales process is broken at: https://lnkd.in/g8M-ah5s

How to Plan a Productive Week 👇 Success doesn’t happen by accident—it’s built on consistent, intentional habits. Here’s how I approach planning a productive week to maximize focus, energy, and results: 1. Set Your GPS (Goal, Plan, System): Start with your big goal for the week. Break it down into actionable steps and create a system to stay on track. Clarity is power. 2. Time Block Your Priorities: Schedule your non-negotiables first—workouts, creative time, meetings, and rest. Treat your time like the valuable resource it is. 3. Reflect on Last Week: What worked? What didn’t? Adjust your strategy to build on your successes and learn from your challenges. 4. Plan Your Morning Routine: Begin each day with habits that fuel your mind and body—meditation, journaling, exercise, or reading. How you start your day sets the tone for everything else. 5. Batch Similar Tasks: Group similar activities together—emails, calls, or creative work. This minimizes distractions and keeps you in the zone. 6. Identify Potential Roadblocks: Anticipate challenges that could derail you and plan solutions in advance. Preparation beats procrastination. 7. Commit to Rest and Recovery: Productivity isn’t about grinding 24/7. Schedule downtime to recharge, reflect, and stay sharp for the long game. 8. Use Sunday as a Reset Day: Take time to organize your space, review your calendar, and set intentions for the week ahead. A clear mind leads to clear actions. 9. Stay Flexible: Life happens. Adapt without losing focus on what matters most. Productivity is about progress, not perfection. 10. Celebrate Wins Along the Way: Acknowledge your progress, no matter how small. Gratitude fuels momentum and keeps you motivated. Remember, planning is the foundation, but execution is where the magic happens. Make this week count!

I'm excited to share my system for staying productive all day, every day. This system allowed me to sell over $100M in my B2B sales career, then build a 7 figure coaching business working an average of 40 hours/week. Most importantly, my nights and weekends are free to spend with my family. Here's are the 3 simple steps I take every single week: Step 1: Complete a Weekly Plan & Scorecard at the beginning of each week On Monday mornings (or Sunday evening), I print and fill out a Weekly Plan & Scorecard. On this document, I write down all the important tasks and action items I aspire to get done that week in no particular order. I then rank each task in order of priority, typically prioritizing RGA's (Revenue Generating Activities) for my business. I originally took this scorecard from a book called the 12 Week Year, then adapted it to include a "Rank" column, which allows me to prioritize each action item. Prioritizing the Action Items allows me to know where to start every day, and prevents me from getting overwhelmed. Step 2: Daily Task Blocking in Calendar Whitespace At the beginning of each weekday, I fill up all the whitespace on my calendar for that day with high priority tasks taken directly from the Weekly Plan & Scorecard. This ensures that the most important tasks for the week get done first and eliminates daily decision fatigue. The key is to put the specific tasks on your calendar so there's no empty space. If for some reason any tasks on the calendar don't get completed for that day, I move them to the next day in any open whitespace. Step 3: Weekly Scoring At the end of each week, I score my performance using the simple formula: Tasks Completed / Tasks Written Down = Score % My goal is to score 85% or higher each week, although admittedly there are many weeks where I fall short. If there are any tasks that didn't get completed that week, they get moved to the following week. I rinse and repeat this process every single week. This ensures that I SHOW UP every single day, and stay productive throughout the entire work week. Additional keys to success include: 1. Taking short breaks when you feel mentally drained. Stretching, a short walk, and standing desk do wonders to change your state. 2. Minimize the number of daily meetings on your calendar (4 or less is optimal) to stay focused and ensure you have enough whitespace to get deep work done. 3. Give yourself an hour lunch to break up the work day. Every day I have lunch with my wife, and that's also on the calendar. 4. Do one thing at a time 5. If you have an unproductive day, forgive yourself. Of course, this is all easier said than done... That's why next week, in our 2nd *Transformation Tuesday* LIVE training session, I'm going to walk you through exactly how to leverage The 12 Week Year (and Weekly Scorecard) to transform your productivity and your life. Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/gsPsq2XR Only 500 spots available due to Zoom webinar limit!

As a CTO who has successfully scaled AI and tech products, I’ve refined productivity strategies that can transform your leadership workflow and enhance your team’s output. If you’re leading in the tech industry, and grappling with overwhelming demands, the 3 targeted tactics I’m about to share are tailored for the unique challenges you face. My guiding principle each week is the 'Rule of Three': identifying three top priorities that serve as my North Star. These aren't just scribbled in a planner but physically placed on my office wall, a constant visual reminder of my core focus. This practice not only keeps me centered amidst the whirlwind of daily tasks but also ensures that every action is a step toward our most critical goals. Sharing these priorities with my direct reports does more than foster transparency — it aligns our efforts, synchronizes our strides, and forms the bedrock of our collective pursuit. It's a simple yet profoundly effective strategy that has continually steered us toward meaningful progress and impactful results. Next, time blocking has been a critical strategy. Carving out dedicated blocks for deep work, meetings, and even unexpected tasks allows me to create a rhythm amidst the chaos. This isn't just about sticking to a schedule; it's about allocating mental space and ensuring that high-priority projects get the uninterrupted attention they deserve. I always check each Friday that my time blocked schedule appropriately reflects the work I need to accomplish for my top three priorities. Lastly, I leverage automation and delegation. By automating routine tasks and delegating effectively, I maintain focus on what truly requires my expertise. It's not just about offloading work; it's about empowering my team by entrusting them with responsibilities that aid their growth while freeing me to lead more effectively. A framework I really like using is the Eisenhower matrix around categorizing work based on its urgency and importance. I try and focus as much of my work as I can on the important and urgent tasks. Implementing these strategies hasn’t just boosted my personal productivity; it sets a precedent for the whole team. When leaders manage their time effectively, it cascades down, fostering a culture of efficiency and clarity. Remember, in the world of tech and AI, where the ground shifts daily, these strategies aren't just nice-to-have—they're essential for survival and success. If you're leading in this space and looking to refine your approach to productivity, let's connect and share insights that propel us forward! #techleadership #productivitytools #teamleader

I've been planning my week every Sunday for the past 4 years. It has helped me hit my goals consistently. I created a life where I now live as a digital nomad, moving to a new country every month. If you fail to plan, you’re planning to fail Without a plan, You’re just riding the random waves of life instead of getting clear on your biggest priorities to move closer to your goals. To set up your week for success Step 1: Plan your day first If you’re not already planning your day, start there. A well-structured day leads to a well-structured week. Step 2: Analyze your daily accomplishments Are you hitting at least 85% of your daily goals consistently? - If not, identify what’s blocking you and adjust your plan. - If you’re at 100% every day, challenge yourself, you might not be pushing hard enough. Step 3: Identify your 3 biggest priorities Each day, ask yourself: = Are these truly the highest-impact tasks? = Are they addressing my biggest constraints to success? If not, rework your focus. Step 4: Plan your week like a pro - Set your top 3 priorities for the week. These are the tasks that will move the needle the most. - Break them down into daily action steps, and make sure your schedule is realistic. - Add non-negotiables (gym, family time, rest. Balance matters). - Adjust for reality. If Monday has 10 hours of calls, don’t set yourself up for an 8-hour task. - If you manage others (kids, clients, employees, etc.), account for their priorities too, you’re responsible for keeping them on track By doing this, you’ll wake up each morning already knowing exactly what to tackle. No wasted time. No overwhelm. Just execution. Your future self will thank you Success doesn’t come from working harder It comes from working on the right things consistently

As someone who's passionate about planning, my approach to yearly planning may seem a bit unconventional. Twice a year, in January and July, I dedicate time to jot down my lifetime, three-year, and one-year aspirations. Alongside these, I also define the mindset I aim to maintain throughout the year, setting personal, relational, and business goals. At the start of each month, I revisit these long-term aspirations and outline a few key actions I plan to take that month to inch closer to them. This monthly plan then breaks down further into weekly objectives. Each week, I select a handful of these monthly goals to focus on. And daily, I reflect on my weekly objectives to create a small, manageable task list for the day. I’ve found that realistically, I can complete about 2-3 significant tasks per day. What I love about this method is its flexibility and kindness. If a day doesn't go as planned, it's okay. Each new day is another opportunity to try again. This approach keeps me aligned with my larger goals while allowing room for adjustments along the way. I encourage you to try this method, or let me know if you do and how it works for you!

The strongest leaders I've observed all have a strong focus on the details of their goals. This isn't micromanaging: they’re protecting outcomes. Outcomes are the scoreboard; details are the plays. By sampling a few critical execution details: milestones, owners, leading indicators, decision logs, you can tell whether the plan is real, whether risks are being addressed, and whether the forecast is credible. That scrutiny surfaces weak assumptions early, when course corrections are cheap, and it builds a culture where teams come prepared with evidence, not just reporting out the status. Equally important: keep the conversation anchored to outcomes. A crisp “path to green” forces clarity about what must be true by specific dates, not just activity completed. It also prevents comfort work from substituting for impact, focuses trade-offs, and makes mitigation plans falsifiable (“we’ll know it’s working by this signal, by this date”). The combo of outcome focus plus selective details, is how leaders stay out of the weeds while still catching the things that actually change the final result. Below is a compact prompt list for leaders to use in reviews. It keeps the discussion tied to outcomes, execution control, and mitigation strength. 1) Are we on track for Green? What would have to be true for this goal to be a final Green outcome (dates, owners, milestones)? What leading indicators tell us we’re trending the right way (and how are they moving week over week)? 2) Is the team on top of their projects? Are we making the right decisions today based on the information we have? What’s the confidence trend and why? What are we de-scoping or trading off to hit the goal (and what risks does that introduce)? 3) If challenged, will mitigations get us there? Is there a blocker? If so, what’s the unblock plan, owner, and date? When will we see the leading-indicator move if the mitigation is working? What specific signal triggers escalation or a switch to Plan B or C? What questions did I miss?