a guest blog post by Susanne Myers from Piggy Makes Bank 
Do you ever set yourself a big goal and then aren’t sure where to start… or worse, you get so overwhelmed by all the different things you’ve got to do that you just crawl back into bed instead?
We’re busy … kids, other jobs and business projects, but it’s easy to grow your affiliate income by taking tiny steps and getting things done in bite-sized chunks. Let me walk you through my process of setting big goals and then breaking them down for maximum productivity.
Start With The Big Picture – Plan For The Year
Start with a big picture of what you want to accomplish this year. Write down each month and set an ambitious individual goal for each of them. For example, my goal this month is to write and submit 50 guest blog posts. Pick something that’s achievable but that’s also a bit of a stretch. Don’t forget to allow time for all the other stuff you’re doing on a regular basis to run your online business (and the rest of your life).
What Do You Need To Do This Week?
Next break it down into smaller chunks that you can accomplish this week. For example, I may write down that I will write 10 guest blog posts this week to help me get closer to my goal of 50. I also like to include some of the other things that I should be doing that are easy to forget like posting on social media sites each week, writing three blog posts for my own blogs etc.
I’ve shared my weekly goals on my affiliate marketing blog the past few weeks. Having it up there in writing has helped me make sure I get things done.
Individual Tasks For Each Day
Last but not least, it’s time to make a daily to-do list. It will help you focus, prioritize and of course make sure you get everything done that you need to do to reach your goals. You can do this on paper or use an app on your smart phone. I particularly like the “Remember The Milk” App.
Start by listing the things you need to do each day to reach your weekly goals, then add all the other stuff that you need to take care of today.
Get To Work Or “Just Do It”
Last but not least it’s time to take action. Find out what the best way to tackle your to-do list. Some people like to start with the largest or most difficult project first and get it out of the way. I prefer to start with a few quick and easy tasks that I can check of my list. It makes me feel like I’m making progress and gives me the energy to tackle the rest of the stuff.
Do your best to finish your to-do list before you go to bed that day. If you’re done with your list by 10am, it’s time to step it up and add more tasks. Don’t forget to make out a new list for the next day.