Goal-setting

I read an interesting article by Steve Pavlina about the 30-day trial for personal growth. Basically, pick something you want to make a habit of, or a habit you want to break; instead of approaching it from a “permanent” perspective, give it a 30-day trial, after which point you can choose whether or not to stick with it. There's a lot less pressure this way, and habits will be easier to start since the first few weeks are usually the hardest.

Steve lists several good ideas for 30-day trials. I decided to write in my journal every day; I'm just shy of two weeks into it now and it's been a very good experience. I have combined it with another productivity concept of setting weekly goals - specifying concise actions instead of general ideas. Writing them down and reviewing how well I'm achieving them daily/weekly has been quite helpful. I have been successful at exercising more regularly, taking vitamins daily, and getting to sleep on time. I have not been so successful in getting up without hitting the snooze button a few times (though Steve also has an interesting technique for that which I might try).

You can check out more of Steve's articles at StevePavlina.com. He definitely seems like an interesting guy with some good ideas.

Feel free to share goals, 30-day trial ideas, or any other productivity concepts in the comments.