Living a useful life helps you reach your objectives and feel better. Setting clear, attainable goals gives you direction and drives you to reach them. “Goals are the first step toward planning for the future,” says one study. When you work toward your goals, you feel good and put in extra effort. In the same way, good habits like working out regularly can improve your mood and brain function. Setting goals, developing good habits, and planning ahead can help you organize your day well. This piece tells you how to set goals, plan your day, keep track of your energy, and use tried-and-true methods for getting things done while avoiding common mistakes.

Set clear priorities and goals

Set clear objectives. Make it clear what you want to do in the short and long run (health, learning, career goals, etc.). Setting clear, difficult goals can help you stay motivated. The harder and more important the goal, the harder we tend to work toward it, and the better it feels to reach our goal.

Divide your goals into steps. Instead of making a long list, break it up into smaller jobs or milestones that you can easily reach. Setting goals and making plans based on skills has been shown to improve both performance and overall happiness.

Set up frames. To make goals clearer, think about the SMART criteria: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. To keep them in mind, write them down or use a planning app.

Make goals a priority. Do the most important things first. Like the Eisenhower Matrix, which divides tasks into four quadrants based on how pressing or important they are, you can focus on the ones that will really help you reach your long-term goals.

Setting goals the right way gives you a plan for your practice. When you set clear goals and organize your tasks, every day’s activities will be in line with your bigger goal, which will make you more productive and happy.

Set goals and plans for your day

Plan your day with a planner or a smart calendar. Time blocking, which means setting aside specific times to do things, is a very effective method. You could set aside 9–10 AM for email, 10–12 PM for important project work, and so on. By making your plan more organized, this method “boosts productivity” and “increases focus.” To successfully block time:

Plan ahead by making a list of jobs and ranking them (for example, using the Eisenhower Matrix).

Give each job or type of task a set amount of time, and use reminders. Breaks and extra time should be put in between blocks.

Every day, look over and make changes. Finally, move any unfinished tasks to the next day’s blocks so that today isn’t too busy.

Other ways of making schedules can also be useful. Task batching puts together similar tasks (like calls and emails) into one block so that you don’t have to switch between them as often. Day theming means focusing on one job for the whole day, like Mondays are for meetings and Tuesdays are for creative work. These techniques work well with time-blocking. You need to be in charge of your plan and not let it run your life.

Improve your health and energy

Focus and energy are important for getting things done. Align your goals with the way you naturally work. Some people are “larks” in the morning and “owls” at night. Adults who are more busy in the evening (called “owls”) tend to do better on cognitive tests than adults who are more active in the morning. This suggests that everyone has a natural peak time. Find out when you’re most alert and do your hardest work then. Also, make sure you get enough sleep. Studies show that 7–9 hours of sleep per night is best for brain health; too little or too much sleep hurts performance.

Regularly work out. Moderate aerobic movement, like brisk walking, is good for brain health. People who work out tend to have bigger parts of their brains that are responsible for memory and thinking. Exercise also improves your mood and lowers your worry and anxiety, which indirectly makes you more productive. Healthy experts say that you should aim for at least 150 minutes of mild exercise each week. First do it for a short amount of time every day. Make working out a habit that you can’t break (like a medication) to get the mental and physical benefits.

Keep up your good habits. Getting enough water and eating a varied diet (like a healthy breakfast and regular meals) can help you feel more energetic. Take small breaks during the day to do things like stretch, take deep breaths, or leave your work area. The research makes it clear: when you plan your day, include “breaks to rest and recharge.” Even a short 5- to 10-minute break every hour can help you stay focused for longer. Finally, take good care of your body. Regular exercise, sleep, and free time are all important parts of a productive habit.

Form habits that will last

To set up patterns, you need to form habits. Use habit stacking to add a new habit you want to have to a daily pattern you already have. As an example, do a short meditation or go over your goals right after you brush your teeth, which is a good habit. Using the brain’s cues in this way will make the new habit happen when you do the old one. In the words of the Cleveland Clinic, “the idea is that doing the old habit will remind you to do the new one.” The new habit becomes automatic over time as you stick to it.

Some more advice on how to make habits:

Start small and do it again and again. Instead of making a big change, commit to a small, clear action, like writing 100 words every day. Scheduling it often (daily or more often) is key to making it stick.

Keep track of progress. You can use a habit tracker app or a calendar to see your streaks. Seeing the behavior strengthens it.

Give yourself a reward. After you finish a habit trigger, give yourself small benefits like a healthy snack or a short walk. Positive reinforcement makes the practice stick. Don’t give up if you miss a day; start over the next day. Over time, being consistent leads to “automaticity.”

By building on and strengthening habits, you make them a permanent part of your life. Things like going over your goals, working out, and making plans become as normal as drinking coffee in the morning after a while.

Use Time-Tested Methods to Get Things Done

Along with habit stacking and time blocking, the following other techniques have been shown to increase productivity:

Eisenhower Matrix: Set priorities by marking jobs as “urgent/important,” “important/not urgent,” and so on. Do the most important and urgent tasks first, then plan the important but not urgent ones, delegate if you can, and get rid of the less important ones. This will help you concentrate on the important work.

The Pomodoro Technique, also known as “timeboxing,” says to work hard for short periods of time (like 25 minutes) and then take a short break. Many people have been using this way for decades to improve their focus and stay alert. According to Cal Newport, focused time that is planned ahead of time can get as much done as many extra hours that aren’t planned.

Reviewing your finished tasks and upcoming plans on a monthly and weekly basis can help you get back on track with your routine. Take some time, like Friday afternoon, to look at what’s working and make changes to your plan as needed.

There is no one right way to do things; try different things to see what works best for you. The important thing is to create a personal system that uses all of these tools together. For example, you could use time blocks based on an Eisenhower chart to complete important tasks during your most productive hours.

Balance Work with Rest and Health: When you balance work with rest, you’ll be more productive. Make mental and sleep health a top priority. Working “with your natural sleep tendencies” and having just the right amount of sleep (not too long or too short) is very important, according to research from Imperial College. Try to go to bed at the same time every night, and don’t do any work right before bed to get a good night’s sleep.

Recovery exercises should be a part of your routine. Take short breaks in between work sessions and a longer break every day to relax or spend time with friends and family. Being away from a computer for even 5–10 minutes can help you refocus. To lower stress chemicals, take a few deep breaths, go for a short walk, or do some light stretching. Also, take breaks from work and do something fun or meditate in the evening to clear your mind. Remember that getting enough sleep (7–9 hours) can help you remember things and make decisions better.

Self-care isn’t a “reward”; it’s a way to get things done. Taking breaks and paying attention to your body can help you avoid stress. Some guides say that you should plan your time so that you have “breaks to rest and recharge.” By planning to recharge, you can keep your energy and creativity high while you work.

Common Mistakes and Ways to Avoid Them

Making too many plans or commitments. Too many jobs on a list or plans for every minute can go wrong. A long list of things to do or a plan that is too rigid may make you more stressed and cause you to put things off. Instead, take care of your daily tasks. If a list seems too big, cut it down to the three to five most important things.

Perfectionism and not being able to change. It can be frustrating to try to do everything correctly or stick to a plan that won’t work. Be flexible with your schedule: leave room for unplanned events and reschedule jobs you haven’t finished instead of putting them off. Treat yourself for making progress instead of being perfect.

Overwhelm and putting things off. Take a step back and do the first part of a task if it seems too big. As the saying goes, “if it takes less than two minutes, do it right away.” This will keep you from letting small things pile up.

Ignoring signs of energy. When you’re tired, forcing yourself to work makes the work less good. Keep track of the times you feel most alert. If you’re tired, either take a short break or switch to something less hard.

Forgetting to rest. Skipping breaks to “power through” makes you less productive. Don’t let short breaks happen. Short distractions can help people get back on track when their attention starts to waver.

You can change your habits to avoid these traps if you know about them. For instance, instead of making a long list of things to do, make a short list of three to five things every day and stick to it. Use your plan as a guide, not as a strict rule. The point is to make progress, not to feel rushed.

Illustrations and Plans

Write down the six most important things you need to do tomorrow, in order of how important they are, at the end of each day. This is the Ivy Lee Method. The next day, only work on the first job until it’s done. Then, move on to the next one. This pushes you to set priorities and has helped a lot of people focus better (this method was made popular by productivity experts).

Example of a Daily Routine: Someone might wake up at 7:00 AM after eight hours of sleep, work out for twenty minutes, and then review their goals and tasks for the day for ten minutes. She sets aside time from 9 to 11 a.m. to work on artistic projects, meetings in the middle of the day, and time from 4 to 5 p.m. to do administrative work and plan for the next day. This routine is structured but flexible, and it balances deep work with frequent breaks.

The 80/20 Rule says that you should focus on the 20% of jobs that get you 80% of the results. Spend your hardest work blocks on those tasks and give or get rid of activities that aren’t important to you. So, a salesperson might spend most of her time on high-value calls with clients and set up automation for chores like reporting.

These are just examples. The best practice is the one that fits your needs and goals. Intentional planning and review are what they all have in common. You can find a habit that works best for you and your health by trying out different frameworks and keeping track of what works.

“Taking a wrong step in a new direction often leads to success.” – Louis Ford

It takes work to live a more useful life. Choose a small task to begin with, like making a new habit or setting a goal. Build up your routine little by little. You can get more done without getting burned out if you set clear goals, handle your time well, form healthy habits, and get enough rest. It’s clear that consistent routines and tactics like time blocking and habit stacking help people stay focused and happy. To plan your days, use these tools. As you learn what works best for you, don’t forget to change things. Your well-thought-out practice will become second nature over time, helping you reach your goals in a healthy, long-lasting way.