December 27, 2017
What would you like to achieve next year?
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With 2017 coming to a steady close, now is usually the time when we think about what we’ve achieved and what we didn’t throughout the past twelve months. Did you hit that end of year sales target? Did you finally get that long-awaited promotion? If the answer is no, then now is the time to think of the reasons why. Was it a case of, “I’ll start tomorrow”? Or, simply a fear of failure? Whatever the reason, DropTask can help to not make this a repeat occurrence.
For our last blog of 2017, we’ve rounded up our top 3 tips for how to step into 2018 with a positive and can-do attitude, to ensure that your goals stay your priority for the coming year. Take a look below to see how DropTask can help you achieve your goals early and make 2018 a year to remember.
Ask yourself what’s important? Then get to work
What would you like to achieve this year? Pour all of your goals and aspirations for the new year onto the interactive Canvas. We recommend starting a new, blank project to ensure that your goals are placed within a personal project. Title the project ‘My Goals for 2018’. This will allow you to solely focus on your tasks for the upcoming year, and keep all important information in one place.
When your goals have been added to the Canvas, group them together by using Categories and Assign yourself to them. That way you’ll create clear definition and hierarchy within your project, while at the same time knowing exactly what your main priorities are for the new year. Did you know that when you have a physical record of your goals, you’re more likely to achieve them? Dr. Gail Matthews, a psychology professor at the Dominican University California, studied the science behind goal setting. Matthews’ studies found that individuals are significantly more committed to reaching their goals when they’re recorded.
Create small milestones and start ticking them off
So, now that all of your goals have been turned into actionable tasks on the Canvas, it’s time to start breaking them down. The majority of your goals will be long-term endeavours. With this in mind, use Checklists to break each goal down into smaller milestones that you can start working towards. For example, a goal of yours may be called ‘Promotion’. Within this goal, checklist items may be ‘Complete employee handbook’, ‘Secure an excellent review’, and so on. Smaller milestones will help you to stay on track with your end goal.
Once you’ve started to make progress towards achieving your goal, use the Progress Percentage Bar to mark how far you’ve come. The visual indicator is shown on the outside of the task circle and will help you to view progress at a single glance, encouraging you to push forward to the next stage of your goal.
Keep yourself motivated to reach that end goal
We’ve all experienced that feeling of not having enough energy to see our goal through to the very end. In 2018, let’s make this a thing of the past. If you feel as though you’re not making progress, be sure to assign Due Dates to your goals. Believe it or not, having clear and tight deadlines encourage us to work harder by adding a little more urgency to tasks that we need to complete.
If you’re worried about your schedule for the new year, or any unexpected tasks that may pop-up, there’s no need to stress. DropTask’s built-in Calendar ensures that all tasks across all projects are prioritized in accordance to their start or due date. With deadlines assigned to your goal, you’ll be more motivated than ever to work towards deadlines, rather than letting them slip through the cracks like previous years.
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