Is your goal worth 30 minutes of your time every single day? If you can’t dedicate 30 minutes every day to your goals, then you should think about it.

I hear many people say, it’s hard to commit 30 minutes every day to my goals. I used to tell myself this also. I found it hard to dedicate time to my goals every day.

I would come back from my day job, tired and frustrated from the hassles of the job. I’d give excuses, ‘I’m too tired, tomorrow is another day’. But what I didn’t realize was I wasn’t committed to my goals.

It was a fantasy somewhere in my head. I wanted to live the digital lifestyle. I wanted to make a difference in the world. I wanted to help people make amazing transformations in their lives. But I didn’t realize I was:

Dreaming. But not acting.

One day, I asked myself, “Ifeanyi, do you want this? Is this a fantasy?”

The truth is I was too comfortable in my day job. I was comfortable with having a monthly income. It was safe and predictable. It was great to have a job.

Until I realized I wanted the life of my dreams, dedicating time seemed impossible.

You need to set aside at least 30 minutes every day to work on your goals. It’s best if you can commit to 30 minutes at once rather than breaking it into chunks of 10 minutes.

Here are 5 steps to dedicate 30 minutes to your goals every day

1. Know yourself

You need to know yourself. What time of day do you have maximum focus? Is it in the mornings, afternoons or evenings? For most people, it’s in the early hours of the morning but for others, they can focus in the afternoon or evening.

You need to know what time works for you so you can carve out the right time.

Don’t try to be like anyone else. Choose the time of day that works best for you.

2. Plan your day the night before

30 minutes might seem long. But it’s short. And you need to maximize this time.

What’s the one thing you will do the next day that will take you closer to your goals?

Marie Forleo calls the one thing a onesie.

What’s your onesie for the next day?

Block off a 30 minutes slot in your calendar to do your onesie. Write down your onesie with the selected time-slot.

I recommend using a notecard and placing it on your desk. Or use a Post-It-Note and paste it on your wall. Make sure you can see the note throughout your day or once you get home from your day job.

Note that your onesie might not be the same activity every day. This depends on your goals and your progress.

3. Apply the concept of deep focus

You have only 30 minutes. Okay, you may have more minutes on some days but you have at least 30 minutes.

Make the most of this time.

Shut down all gadgets. Go to a room with no TV if you can.

Focus.

I have a friend who is great at this technique. When she needs to focus, she leaves the kids with her husband and goes into the study to work. Once she’s done, she returns to being an amazing wife and mother.

Having a supportive group of people helps you focus.

4. Review your onesie at the end of the day

At night, ask yourself if you achieved your onesie. If you don’t feel like you did, ask yourself why.

Is the onesie critical to the achievement of your goals? If it’s not, let it go. If it is, do it the next day.

Reviewing your specific activity will help you assess your progress daily.

Don’t gloss over this technique. It’s important you know where you are right now and how far you need to go.

5. Review your progress on your goals every week

This is a major booster. You will realize you’re making significant progress towards your goals. You will be motivated to continue.

It’s through consistent actions you achieve your goals. You won’t achieve your goals if you act on them only when you have inspiration. You need to do it every single day until it becomes second nature. Until it becomes a habit.

I recommend reviewing on weekends preferably Sundays. This will help you have a clear direction for your week.

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