Here is another valuable Management Tip of the Day from Harvard Business Review. To sign up for a free subscription to any/all HBR newsletters, please click here.

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It’s too easy to allow entire days to pass by in a blur, without being able to articulate what you’ve actually done. One of the most effective tactics for staying focused and productive is to bring purpose to each moment of your work.

o Start by understanding and articulating how your daily work connects to your personal goals and the goals of the organization.

o Then use that information to create a road map in which you identify which tasks are critical and which can wait.

o Make time estimates for each task, plotting out your work so that you know what you should be focusing on and when.

o Finally, name your distractions — and understand the root cause of them — so that you can catch yourself and return your attention to those tasks on your priority list.

Knowing what you’re doing and why can give your job a fuller sense of purpose.

Adapted from “Stop Mindlessly Going Through Your Work Day,” by Leah Weiss

To check out that HBR article and join the discussion, please click here.

Here’s a direct link to dozens of other Management Tips.