How to pick a daily goal you will actually keep
The four tests of a good daily goal
- Specific. "Work out" invites arguments with yourself. "50 squats" doesn't.
- Small enough for a bad day. Imagine the day you are tired, late and slightly ill. Could you still do it in under 20 minutes? If not, shrink it.
- Provable. If you can't show it, you will eventually fudge it. Good goals leave something to photograph or film.
- Yours. A goal you picked because someone else does it fades fast. Choose something you'd want even if nobody was watching.
Examples that work
| Instead of | Try |
|---|---|
| Get fit | 30 pushups a day |
| Read more | 10 pages a day |
| Run more | A 2 km run or 20-minute walk, every weekday |
| Learn guitar | 15 minutes of practice, filmed for 10 seconds |
| Study harder | One page of handwritten notes a day |
| Eat better | A photo of one home-cooked meal a day |
| Stretch | A 2-minute plank or 10 minutes of stretching |
Every day or only some days?
Every day is easiest to remember. If your goal needs recovery, like heavy training, choose fixed active days such as Monday to Friday. Fixed days are better than "three times a week", which quietly turns into Friday, Saturday and Sunday in a panic.
When to raise the bar
Once a goal has felt easy for two or three weeks, raise it a little: 30 pushups becomes 40. Raise it slowly. The streak is worth more than the extra ten.
In Quota. Your quota is written in your own words, so it can be anything you can show, and you choose the days it applies to. Days outside them leave your streak alone. See setting up your first group.
Questions
How do I choose a daily goal?
Make it specific, small enough to do on your worst day, provable with a photo or short video, and something you want for yourself.
Should a daily goal be every day?
Every day is easiest to remember. If you need rest days, pick fixed active days like weekdays rather than a number of days per week.
How big should my daily goal be?
Smaller than feels impressive. Something you can finish in under 20 minutes on a bad day. Raise it slowly once it has felt easy for a few weeks.
Keep your goal with friends.
Quota is a free app for a daily goal with your group: proof before midnight, and a streak you keep together.
Get the app