Achieving Goals with Your #Android Device
I’m not a big goal-keeper, and I always hate New Year’s when everyone asks about my new goals. That doesn’t mean I don’t make goals, try to achieve them, and then re-evaluate them after time, because I do. When I say I’m not a goal-keeper, I mean in some purer (if that’s possible) sense of the word, like those Type-A personalities who like to tick off their to-do lists and feel accomplishment when they do. My goals and tracking methods are more laid back.
The “experts” in goal-keeping admonish us to set reasonable and attainable goals. With my Android device that means I tackle things on a daily basis while maintaining a watchful view on the total prize.
For starters, I love the app Tasks. This allows me to track and sync goals and tasks across multiple devices, including my Android tablet and smartphone and my desktop. I can see what tasks need accomplishing for the day, and set notes for the how-to on getting them done.
I also use Evernote as a second method for setting and keeping goals. Evernote helps me manage the high-level goals relating to business activities, family commitments, and spiritual or mental development. Rather quickly, I can see in my Goals notebook that I want to have a particular gross profit for the business, and a number of ways to achieve that profit level. I can also jot new ideas and notes as the need arises.
For instance, if one of my business goals for 2013 is to retain at least two new clients per week, I use an Evernote notebook to outline ideas for achieving that goal. I might write a note about several marketing techniques I can use such as improve social media presence, redesign firm website, and join a marketing or networking club/organization.
After creating the high-level goal with my subcategories, I then drill-down the particulars. If I want to improve my social media presence, then I write specifics for meeting that sub-goal such as post 1 message per day about my practice area that is not about my firm. The idea for these sub-category tasks is to make them as specific as possible. If you don’t have a social media account, your task should be, “create an account on Twitter,” not some generic statement like “create a social media account.”
The specific methods then become the daily tasks to accomplish and place into the Tasks app. If I wanted to achieve my two new clients goal, my specific task for today might be “post a Twitter/Google+ statement about Christmas scams and protecting yourself.” I would include a link to a news article or my blog for reference.
At the end of my workday, or before I fall into bed, I open my Evernote notebook and Tasks app to compare how I did for the day. I may accomplish some tasks, only to find them reappear the next day (i.e. posting to social media). The trick is to keep everything fresh in your mind so you will actually do the goals you set.
About Jeffrey Taylor
Jeffrey Taylor is a semi-techno-savvy lawyer in Oklahoma City. He owns and operates a small firm, and publishes the blog, The Droid Lawyer, about using Android-based mobile devices in the law office....
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[...] January 2, 2013 by Jeffrey Taylor | 0 Comments Android OS, ApplicationsIf you’re interested, my newest post at Small Firm Innovation dropped down today. It’s a discussion of goals and [...]