But, the harsh reality of everyday business operations - keeping up with e-mail, tracking ads, fixing glitches on your website, posting on forums, checking your traffic statistics - can eat into your valuable time and interfere with your plans for progress in your business. If you're not careful, they will delay you from taking the necessary steps toward achieving your goals.

So ... how do you ensure progress? How do you avoid being distracted from your important business-building activities?

Do 5-a-day! Every day, do five small tasks that help take your Internet business that one step further along its path to success.

= Laying The Groundwork =

When you first set a goal for your online business, take the extra time to write down the steps you need to take. Create a blueprint for success that states exactly what has to be achieved and what needs to be done.

Give priorities to each step. What has to be done when? What is most important? What needs extra time or resources?

Instead of just having one deadline for your goal, create milestones. Make a schedule and set milestones at each state of progress. Write down a date when you should arrive at each milestone.

Now, you have broken your goal down into manageable chunks.

= Plan Your Next Day =

At the end of each day, set aside 5-10 minutes. Sit down with your plan and see what needs to be done to move along towards the next milestone. What can you do tomorrow that will bring your Internet business closer to reaching that next milestone?

See what needs to be done, and break it down into tasks - small tasks that can be completed in a few hours, even minutes. It might be something as small and quick to do as, "Contact the fulfillment house and get prices." It may be something more time-consuming and involved like, "Write down all the benefits to cover on your sales letter website."

Whatever the task is, make sure it's broken down far enough to allow you to complete it in a few hours - maximum.

Now, write down five tasks to do tomorrow. Write down exactly what needs to be done, what results you need to achieve, what resources you'll need.

= Whatever Happens, Do It! =

The next day, complete all five tasks. Don't let "emergencies" divert you from these all-important business-building, goal-achieving tasks. Don't spend your whole day "putting out fires". Sit down and concentrate on completing your tasks - each and every day.

By doing just five tasks a day - no matter how small a task - you will take your online business closer and closer to your goal.