With an internet businesses in particular, it’s way too easy to think you are productive, when in reality your activities far from support your business objectives. There is so much “busy-work” that can consume your work hours: checking email, social network activities that don’t directly contribute to your business or lead generation, too much forum posting, you name it.

I was creating To Do lists on my computer and on paper, but it was hard to complete them on a daily basis. Other tasks always came up and seemed more important.

So I decided to try this strategy, and it’s worked very well for me.

I use a small whiteboard that I keep next to my computer, and I’ve written a list of the things that I want to accomplish daily, without fail. This is my baseline, absolute minimum To Do list. I do plenty of other tasks as well, not to mention running a household, and raising two small children!

As I complete the items, I check them off throughout the day. So my daily goal is to have all items checked off before I go to bed. If I put them off until late, then I pay for it by staying up later than normal to get all items checked off. You can be sure that the next day, I don’t repeat that pattern.

The next morning, I erase the checkmarks and begin again. As my list changes, I erase items and write new ones.

This strategy provides a simple way to hold myself accountable, and visually see progress.

The key here is to commit to yourself that you will absolutely complete each item on the whiteboard. Don’t start this process until you are ready to commit.