Meeting your goals when no one is watching

This is the most common struggle I see: staying focused on important tasks when no one’s watching. Whether you’re studying for a qualification, doing paid work, or just keeping life running, it’s hard to give your best energy to the work that matters especially when it’s not always exciting.

In my 8-week programme, we focus on one-three big priorities which are typically below:

• Wellbeing (often exercise)

• Launching a creative venture (activities that are outside of comfort zone)

• Life admin (everything from banking to decluttering)

All you need is a structure that honours your cycle and goals. Here is my 3-Part Daily Split to help you out.

3-Part Daily Split

Ingredients

• A calendar (digital or paper)

• Timer or alarm

• Spreadsheet or habit-tracking app (optional, but useful)

• 1-3 priorities you’re currently struggling to show up for

• A quiet 2–20 minutes at the start of each day

• 1 week to trial the structure, followed by a 28-day commitment

Method

1. Choose Your Window

   • Work within your existing productive window (e.g. school hours if you’re a parent).

   • Split your available time into three equal blocks. School hours becomes 3 blocks of 1 hour 45 minutes.

2. Daily Planning Practice

   • At the start of each productive day, spend 20 minutes doing the following:

     • Name your 3 categories.

     • Write 1–2 key tasks per category that would move the needle forward fastest.

     • Set your intention: “Today, I’m showing up for myself by doing…”

   If you don’t have 20 minutes, try this: Infuse your visions into your morning routine.

3. Use the Blocks

   • Dedicate each block to one of your priorities.

   • Start each block with the most impactful task.

4. Track and Reflect

   • At the end of each day, take 2 minutes to jot down what worked, what didn’t, and how you felt.

   • Use a colour-coded calendar, notes app, or journal to track patterns.

5. Weekly Review

   • After 7 days, reflect:

     • What got done?

     • When did you feel most productive?

     • What needs shifting?

6. Refine and Repeat

   • Continue the structure for 28 more days.

   • Tweak the time blocks, order, or categories every 28 days until you find your sweet spot.

   • Remember: productivity is cyclical. You’re not a robot and you can adapt the system to suit you.

Good luck! Let me know how you get on.