Not Seeing Enough Progress? Use this Tool to Leap Forward.

A couple of weeks ago, my client, Dawn (not her real name) expressed frustration that she hadn't followed through on her action items from the week before.

In particular, she hadn't made progress toward her goal of de-cluttering and organizing her basement. She had good intentions but found that other things got in the way. Truth be told, Dawn found the prospect of cleaning out her basement overwhelming, so it didn't take much for her to get side-tracked!

During that coaching session, I shared a deceptively simple strategy that's made a big difference for Dawn...

"A Single Daily Action"

A Single Daily Action is just what it sounds like -- a new habit you incorporate into your daily routine. Something that, when you do it every day, moves you toward your goal.

In Dawn's case, she decided to devote 30 minutes a day to working on the basement.

She feels a sense of accomplishment knowing she's taking action on her goal every day. And she's no longer overwhelmed.

A couple of other examples...

• Sue wanted more quiet time, which was a challenge in a house with a husband, three kids and two dogs! Her Single Daily Action was getting up 30 minutes earlier in the morning to drink coffee and catch up on news before everyone else gets up.

• Ashley had an aggressive sales goal at work. Such a big number that she felt paralyzed by it. Her Single Daily Action was to touch base with at least ten clients/potential clients per day. She shook off her paralysis and surpassed her goals.

What's your most important goal right now? Brainstorm actions you can take to get there. How might you break those actions down further so you have a Single Daily Action to move you toward your goal?

Institute that Single Daily Habit, and let me know how it affects things for you.