It can feel impossible to do it all, everything we say we want to and feel we should do. And with the hustle culture language subliminally embedded in our psyche, it’s normal to become overwhelmed and discouraged when we miss a deadline or fail to achieve a goal. But with 24 hours in a day, we can control more than we might realize. The solution isn’t to get as much done in as little time as possible (that can result in sloppy deliverables or lead you toward burnout), but instead to get the right things done in the time that you do have—focusing your attention on the goals and projects that you’ve identified as most important in your life and leadership.

In this article, we’ll break down the four key areas of our Focus Plan so that you can spend your time on the things that you say are important. Plus, our Focus Plan will help you better understand why a goal is important to you so that you can make the mindset shifts and behavior changes needed to improve both your performance and productivity.

Why should you use our Focus Plan?

Not only has our Focus Plan been proven successful by the many leaders just like you that we’ve coached, but there are recent statistics to back up the benefits of using a plan like ours throughout your workday. In a study by TimeWatch, it was revealed that 91% of participants agreed that better time management would reduce their stress at work, 90% said it would increase productivity and 82% believed it would boost their confidence in the workplace. So if the majority of people know they need to better manage their time, why aren’t they doing it? Well, many priority list trackers are cumbersome and difficult to follow—requiring too much time and attention from the user and not allowing for inevitable interruptions. That’s why we created a one-page, simple, easy-to-use (and follow) Focus Plan. We digest it into four key areas and encourage our users to craft it according to their needs, whether that be for use over the course of 30 days, 60 days or 90 days. It helps you stay focused on the areas that you say are most important. Plus, we give it away for free.

4 Key Elements to a Successful Focus Plan

1. Goals. These are short-term and achievable. You’ve probably heard the term SMART goals before and it’s helpful to remember that your goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time sensitive. After you’ve determined the length of time your plan will guide you, you’ll be able to create goals that can be achieved within that time frame. But don’t make them so easy that they don’t inspire or challenge you. They should be tied to a greater purpose for you and aid you in your growth toward your overall vision for your work and life.

2. Disciplines. These are commitments (or actions) that make it onto your calendar. Your disciplines are essentially the behaviors you need to take in order to reach your goals. They are incredibly specific and realistic for you to do. And they are done consistently over time; they are not one-time activities. An example of a discipline could be to conduct weekly one-on-one meetings for 30 minutes with each of your direct reports. A discipline like this would be tied to a goal like: Increasing employee engagement. And an example of a personal discipline could be to attend a 1-hour cardio class 3x a week with this discipline being tied to a goal like: Lose 10 pounds. Make your disciplines so granular that you don’t question what it is that needs to get on your calendar.

3. Projects. These are often connected to your goals in some way. They need to have due dates set within the time frame you established for use of the plan. And they need to be organized by priority and due date. They are not a recurring task—that’s a discipline. They are something you’re committed to accomplishing within a set time frame.

4. Central Theme. We call this your rallying cry. Once you’ve identified your goals, disciplines and projects, you should notice an overarching theme for your Focus Plan. Keep it short (between one to five words) and sum up what you’re working toward achieving. It should not only speak to the commitments you’ve outlined in your plan, but it should also get you excited. It should be a phrase that motivates you to complete those disciplines on the days that you just don’t feel like it because they’re connected to something bigger, they’re connected to an inspiring purpose and envisioned future for your life and leadership—and it’s just within your reach.

As we said earlier, our Focus Plan works. It’s easy to use. And it’s free to download. We know you can make the most of your days simply by focusing on the areas of work and life that are most important to you. It is possible. This plan is proven. Start getting more of the right things done—give our plan a try. And reach out if you have questions or need additional guidance, we’d love to help.