Ask myself a dozen times a day (roughly once every waking hour) “Is what I’m doing right now helping, encouraging, building up, or prolonging at least one of 3 things: 1) Wife/Family 2) Friends/People 3) Business/Work?”

That was my goal. My single big fat goal for 2009. At the time I thought it would be great to just have one goal – a nobile goal, that really encapsulated what I wanted to accomplish in 2009. Although I still think this is a great goal, and worthy of executing, what I soon realized is that having a single, large goal is not really for me. I actually need a larger list, with items I can check off as I complete them. Even for longer term goals, I need a list. I work better with a list. The minimalist idea might work for some, but for me, I need more specific goals, and quantifiable achievements. So I learned a valuable lesson: The biggest key to my own productivity and goal setting is doing it my way – What feels best to me.

I can’t over emphazise this fact enough. Almost 100% of the time when I try to emulate another persons planning style or productivity routine two things happen: 1) I end up more focused on the routine than actually getting things done. and 2) I end up fighting my own instincts, and personality and end up trying to follow another person’s instincts and personality.

But, when I focus on my own ways of doing things, and what feels natural to me, something magical starts to happen:

• I get things done in half the time, because the routine for doing them is personal and instinctive.
• Some stuff starts to get done by habit, which makes it easier, and faster.
• My personal integrity and power to accomplish grow because I’m listening and obeying my instinct.
• I build a powerful toolbox of productivity routines.

These are some of the benefits, I’m sure there are more. Ultimately our goal should be happiness and peace. These seem to come best when we are setting and accomplishing our goals. I’ve found that when it comes time to set and accomplish goals, what works best is what works most naturally for you.

I believe every successful person has a toolbox of productivity systems, and things they do that bring the most success into their lives. Some use electronic note keepers, some live and breath by their blackberry, the calendar, notes, etc. Some do everything on paper. The list is endless. But the bottom line is that each person who has a successful system, and has used it to bring them success has done so by personally refining that system, and truly making it their own.

So what can you do to actively tap into your own productivity tool kit? In a word, listen. Listen to your gut – your instinct, to what feels right. You may feel very comfortable using a pen and paper…if you’re like me, you hate using them because your mind is always telling you “it takes too long”, “it’s not sortable or searchable”, “I can’t read it easily”, etc. If that’s the case, scrap the paper and pencil and try a PDA instead. Try using electronic tools such as Outlook, Evernote or Remember The Milk. Try planning out the day in the morning, if that doesn’t work, try it the evening the day before. Try making one big goal for the year, if that doesn’t work make a list of smaller goals. But don’t focus on the system or the tool. Focus on what feels right, and what works for you. When my mind is constantly battling the productivity tool or system I’m trying to use, I know it’s not a good idea. However if my instinct and conscience feel good, and the tool is working, chances are it’s a keeper – something for my toolbox.

“Now, remember, Pinocchio, be a good boy. And always let your conscience be your guide. “ – Pinocchio

The old familiar words of Jiminy Cricket come to mind. There is so much truth and power to just listening to your conscience and knowing what your gut instinct is. In fact, the older I get, the more I realize how true this is. It even applies to our modern day productivity and planning tools. Every successful person has a productivity system and toolbox, what’s yours?

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: The ability to control ones self, and to use great self discipline, is they key to achieving your goals. In light of that, here are some tips I’ve found that help build and exercise our self discipline.

1. Start Small. Remember What About Bob: “baby steps”. This is one of the oldest, and most common forms of attaining our goals. But it really is one of the best ways to exercise our self control. Makes me wonder what a list of lessons learned from Bill Murray might look like.

2. Recognize Too Big: Sometimes instead of starting small we start too big. If you have told yourself you will do something, and you don’t do it. Shake it off – your not a failure. Simply start tomorrow with something smaller. If it’s not clear how to make something ‘smaller’ be creative.

3. Do it “anyway”. You sit down to read a book, then wonder, “Is it worth it?”. You start to do the dishes, and think, “do I really have time for this?”. You start to get ready to go to the gym and think, “Maybe reading would be a better use of my time”. blah, blah, do it *anyway*.

4. Learn from yourself. What areas need the most self discipline? We are all different, some of us find it very simple to keep the house clean, but yet hate to exercise. If you find some of these areas in your life, observe: 1) What is it you enjoy about the one area, can it be applied to the other areas?. 2) focus more on the harder areas, those will need the most work, and could give us the most results. Why? You will feel much more ‘accomplished’ having finished the harder areas.

5. Work Hard: It’s best to understand that self discipline and accomplishing goals will take work, and usually lots of it. In our era of Internet instant-ness, and fast-everything, something that takes time and work, is very easy to put off, or to rationalize as not important. But the reality is that self disciplined people who accomplish their dreams and goals work hard – very, very, very hard.

6. Imagine Control: Visualize and imagine yourself accomplishing the task. Think deeply about how it feels to be done, how it feels to know you can tell yourself to do something and you do it. Feels good doesn’t it?

7. Use “self discipline” as little as possible. I once read that self control was a finite resource, meaning we all only a limited amount of it. Once we start to run short we start to give in more easily. Therefore some of the best advise I’ve heard regarding self discipline, is to not actually use self discipline at all. Let me explain with an example, trying not to eat the ice cream in the freezer will only last so long, don’t buy it in the first place, and you can use that self discipline in other areas. Practice completely eliminating the use of self discipline in the beginning, and that leaves more reservers for the things that can’t be automatically done, such as going to the gym, or washing dishes.

Self Discipline: Noun The act of controlling or power to control one’s own feelings, desires, or behavior

“The person who knows how will always have a job. The person who knows why will always be his boss.” – Diane Ravitch, Professor, Columbia Univ. Teachers College

My Goals and plans for this year are going to be a little different. Instead of focusing on little “how’s”, and little to-do list style items, I want to focus on bigger “Why’s”. Why am I doing what I’m doing? If I can answer this question I believe the “how’s” will come by themselves. And, to keep things really simple, and focused, I want to concentrate on one, big, “why” question.

So here it is, the big “why” goal of the year:

Ask myself a dozen times a day (roughly once every waking hour) “Is what I’m doing right now helping, encouraging, building up, or prolonging at least one of 3 things: 1) Silvia/Family 2) Friends/People 3) Business/Work?

That’s it, nothing more, nothing less. I want to keep it simple, and something I can constantly think about and work towards. This way I’m really working on a habit, and a change of mind instead of a task or to-do list style item. My hope is that if I can steadily answer this question, “yes”, I will be accomplishing all the little goals and to-do list style that come up.

So there it is, my one big goal/plan/habit-change for 2009. What are your goals and plans for 2009?