Joe's Goals

22 January 2009

I’ve written here many times about Don’t Break the Chain, a website that has been effective in helping me establish some routines (like cleaning off my desk every night, blogging regularly and, now, making sure the top of my bureau stays clean).

But there’s another game in town I’d like to shine a light on. It’s Joe’s Goals, a free website that allows you to track your daily goals. I use it regularly as well, though for a few months I’d let it fall by the wayside.

Joe’s Goals allows you to set some daily goals and track whether you’ve accomplished them. You can assign point values to the goals and keep track of how many points you earn a day. For me, it’s great for stuff I’d like to do every day but that aren’t essential. I get the thrill of checking off the box next to that goal without worrying about breaking a chain.

I use it for things like lifting weights in the morning (which I do on weekdays only, and Joe’s Goals allows me to take Saturday and Sunday off without guilt), commenting on other people’s blogs and in various forums, and being on time to client appointments. I find that especially when I’m trying to establish a new routine, thinking about whether I can check the box gives me a little push to do the activity if I’m on the fence about it.

Joe’s Goals also allows you to have negative goals to avoid. The only negative goal I have is “Late to client appointment.” If that happens, I check it off and I lose points that day. (Can you tell I’m trying to work on my punctuality issues?) There’s even a sad face next to the goal.

The new year is a great time to establish some new routines. Joe’s Goals can help you succeed!

Tagged with: don't break the chain, joe's goals, routines