Busy Schedule Got You Stuck? Simple Tips for Working on Your Goals 

Want to achieve your goals even with little time? Want to get more done with more focus in less time? Here are 11 tips for working on your goals despite a busy schedule.

How was last year for you? Did you smash most of your goals? Did you hit your healthy life targets? Did you have the spiritual growth you had hoped for?

If you are like most people, I’m guessing your answer was ‘no’ for at least some of these questions!

So, what held you back? There could be a number of reasons, but one of the most frequent ones is ‘not enough time.’

I think all of us know (I’m guilty, too !) that even though we may have little time, we do not always use it wisely; think about it: did you spend some of that “goal” time mindlessly checking emails or scrolling when you ‘should’ have been working on your goals?

We tend not to use the little time we have as wisely as we would like. It’s very easy to get distracted by so many legitimate or artificial attention demands (social media, TV shows, scrolling).

Then, juggling family, community, and work life while trying to keep up with personal aspirations can make focus and time management a bit more of a challenge. But… after years of trial and error, I’ve developed some effective strategies that have helped me tackle distractions and meet at least some of those elusive goals.

In this piece, I’ll share 11 practical tips for working on your goals with a busy schedule that have been game-changers for me in managing this balancing act.

Attention Management

As a child, I used to have trouble concentrating. I always had a million thoughts in my mind and difficulty staying focused, so I overcompensated by trying to make it harder to distract myself and doing all I could to focus on a task until it was done. As an adult, this allowed me always to finish things way before the deadline, get good grades, and meet deadlines at my job.

Through the years, I’ve learned that having control over my time but, most importantly, my attention leads to more happiness and calmness.

All of us face challenges with scheduling – whether you’re working a full-time job or juggling family responsibilities. It often feels like there are not enough hours in the day.

So, we have to implement safeguards that help us use our time wisely. Along with time, attention management is key for working on your goals, especially with a busy schedule.

Time is your most valuable asset, but in today's Society, attention is what is most sought after, as, after all, 'the attention economy' is based on that.

Remember…

If you don’t direct your attention and your time towards Kingdom goals and your goals, your attention and time are fulfilling someone else’s goals.

Tips for Working on Goals with a Busy Schedule

But worry not; with the right strategies, you can find the time and attention to advance toward your goals. By implementing some of these tips, you will be able to work on your goals with your busy schedule.

 These principles I have implemented have helped me reach many of my goals, and I hope these attention management tips will help you achieve your goals better, too. Let’s dive in!

1. Download it, write it down 

Download on paper all the thoughts from your brain and all the ideas that come to your mind.

Writing down thoughts for later and what you must do on paper or a digital note-taking app can help you clear your mind. 

Then, prioritize, using tools like the Eisenhower matrix to help you decide what needs your attention now and what can wait. Also, breaking down big goals into smaller parts and scheduling them over months can help a lot. 

2. Highest impact task first

Organize tasks according to its overall impact to achieve your goal.

After jotting down your tasks, select those with the highest impact and tackle the most impactful ones on your goal working sessions. By focusing on what really moves the needle, you can make sure that even if life gets chaotic, the critical stuff gets done.

Start each day or goal working session by knocking out your biggest task – you’ll thank yourself later.

3. Phone away or notifications off

This may be cliche, but pausing distractions can be the difference between progressing or getting stuck.

And yes, distractions are everywhere! From social media to endless household chores, it’s easy to lose focus on our goals. 

If you have trouble focusing in this distraction-filled world and if you—like me—are easily distracted, you need to put additional safeguards in place to minimize distractions. 

Because interruptions not only eat up our time but also scatter our focus.

Keeping my phone away or turning ALL notifications off has been a game-changer for years. It’s easy to get pulled into the endless loop of emails and messages.

That’s why turning off your phone notifications or using site-blocker apps during work periods is key to staying on track.

I’ve found that simply putting my phone in a drawer while I work (but leaving the ringer on in case there’s a work call) helps me preserve my attention without the constant incoming alerts derailing my thought process.

4. Close tabs- try keeping them under 3

 Next, let’s tackle another big productivity killer: having too many browser tabs open. Keeping my internet tabs to a limit of three has been a game-changer.

It’s easy to get lost with more tabs than that, each one pulling my attention in different directions. This way, you force yourself to focus only on what’s truly important.

I’ve found that doing this saves time and clears and unclutters my mind. There’s this thing about human attention; it doesn’t like being split between tasks.

By keeping tabs under three, you direct your full attention towards tasks that matter most without slipping into procrastination territory. 

5. Do it while the road is smooth

Smooth roads make for an easier journey, so tackle goals when obstacles are the smallest – maybe early mornings before others wake up during the weekend or during quiet evening hours.

This principle also means that when you have a surge of motivation or free time, take advantage and do as much as you can; if you are a human, you know life gets complicated, things get in the way, and motivation and time may not be there tomorrow, so when you feel that extra push to go for 30 more minutes, do it. 

6. Clutter-free workspace to better work on your goals

 A clutter-free workspace makes it easier for you to focus and be productive. This means no unnecessary papers or gadgets around me.

 If something doesn’t help you with your task, it doesn’t belong on your desk.

This also applies to your digital workspace. 

Only have opened what you are working on

This approach helps you maintain both a clear mind and work area.

7. Clean up principle

Keeping your workspace tidy is a game changer. Especially for those of us- highly distractable people.

This “clean up principle” means I always take a few minutes to clear away clutter and organize my desk at the end of the working session. This is a simple but important tips for working on your goals in short working sessions where every focused minute counts.

 Clean up your desk, and leave your digital desktop- your dock icons and tabs to the minimum.

A neat space cuts down on distractions and helps you focus better when you start your workday again. It’s like giving your brain fresh air.

 By simplifying your physical and digital work environment, you can set yourself up for success the next time you open your computer, allowing you to work on your goals.

8. Run away from MULTI-TASKING

Multitasking is an illusion of productivity!

It’s tempting to multitask when we want to work on our goals and have limited time. But, in reality, when you think you are multitasking, your brain is just switching from one task to the other, which reduces your productivity and focus overall and increases the time it takes you to get things done. IMAGE

When we multitask, we think we are saving time. In reality, we are getting our attention dispersed, our brains become more overwhelmed, and we have to spend more time and energy on completing our chores.

 Embrace ‘the one thing at a time.’ This approach means giving each task attention, significantly boosting productivity and lowering stress levels.

Take a deep breath and repeat after me:  One Thing at a Time.

9. Batch mono tasks

Batch similar tasks together and do them one at a time

Grouping similar tasks helps you stay focused and efficient. For instance, I tackle one task at a time, like answering emails or making appointments; this strategy avoids the chaos of switching between different types of tasks and can help you stay more productive while working on your goals.

10. Learn to say NO

This one is tough – I know it’s hard.

Many times, I had to do it afraid, but I’ve learned the hard way and how vital it is to say “no.” With an already packed schedule, saying yes to everything can lead to a situation in which our own objectives are overlooked.

It may seem obvious if you want to work on your goals despite your busy schedule, you cannot say yes to everything, but we tend to forget that often.

You have limited time and attention, you cannot multitask, and you cannot be in two places at once, but you can politely decline additional activities or things that are not essential for you.

For instance, let’s say you have a goal of learning to crochet. You have a weekend full of errands, but you have carved a spare hour on Sunday afternoon to start your passion. But a friend wants to hang out with you, and though it’s tough, you may have to politely decline and reschedule for another time to guard your personal goal.

Each choice you decline opens up more space for tasks that impact your life at that moment in time. 

 Guard your time, one mindful decline at a time.

11. Set time for the brain to rest → No phone

I know that after a full day of work, we feel tired and want some downtime, so we resort to screens, but that can be the farthest thing from rest.

Scheduling time to rest and do nothing, away from all devices, lets your brain and body recharge and can avoid burnout.

Watching a show, videos, or scrolling is NOT rest; your brain is still working, being overstimulated and wired.

Examples of breaks that are restful and reenergize the body are prayer, contemplation, meditation, deep breathing, or a short walk.

In my experience, these examples give my brain a rest. It is not just about avoiding screens; it’s about providing space for thoughts to settle and creativity to flourish.

Silence and inactivity are valuable human needs, too.

Working on our goals with a busy schedule feels tough, but it’s doable. You can learn to manage your time well by focusing on one big thing at a time and saying No to distractions.

After all, It’s not about being productive for the sake of being productive but redirecting your focus, actions, and attention to the things that matter to you. 

Key Takeaways

• Prioritize your tasks by tackling the one with the biggest impact first.
• Cutting out distractions like phone notifications.
• Extra browser tabs can derail your precious work time – keep them fewer than three if possible.
• Keeping your workspace organized simplifies focusing on tasks without getting overwhelmed by clutter.
• Taking breaks without screens gives your brain time to rest.

OVER TO YOU…

Choose 3 of the tips for working on your goals that best resonate with you and schedule them for your next goal working session.

So there you go – 11 easy and effective tips for working on your goals with a busy schedule. I’d love to hear which of these tips you are going to try out! And do let me know your productivity hacks… What would you add to this list?

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