If you spend just a small amount of time answering this question before you start, you can save a lot of time fumbling in the dark.
I’ve just started doing this practice and it has made a world of difference with my productivity. You can ask this question before a meeting, a research project, or anything really. Knowing what you want beforehand dramatically reduces the amount of time wasted.
I’d highly recommend this small discipline and the clearer you can be about what you desire the better.
Thomas Duggan 