Good Lifestyle

As a new year starts, you have probably defined someAmbitious resolutions for yourself, or at least some modest changes you would like to see in the coming year. But whatever your projectsweightloss, career change, or perhaps adopting a new hobby-do it could be less importantWhat You're aiming to do, and more aboutHow? 'Or' WhatYou will do it. To this end, here are 50 smart ways to get things done and be more productive in the new year.

When you have a lot on your list of things to do, your instinct could be to handle it all at the same time. But a key to ensure your work is done effectively is to avoid the temptation to do everything (or more than one thing) at a time.

"We hurt our levels of productivity by doubling to better do it," says productivity growth and expertJanda Suttonhost ofThe wildest podcast. "Instead, focus on one thing at a time and only this thing. Each distraction, whenever we try to choose something else, we end up doing something called context switching - which does not slow ourselves that. Then we slowed down. Then he made us time to turn back "in" do the thing, and we need to repeat this process every time we check our phones, emails, etc. than the time lost time Add quickly. "

Think about people you will consider making truly high - whether CEOs, rock stars or Olympic athletes. Do you think they do everything? Of course not. To take your productivity at the next level, you must get delegated tasks at ease.

"Forget Hustle's culture. You do not need to be busy for the sake of that," saysRHYS WILLIAMS, general manager ofSigma Recruitment. "Concentrate on the most important tasks for you and find ways to get others to do the rest for you. It also helps your mental health."

David Allen, author ofDo things, has something he calls a "rule of two minutes"It can have a major impact on the effort of anyone to get some workload. The rule is simple: if it takes less than two minutes, do it now. When you remember that you need to send This email or call to make a reservation, do not add it to your list of things to do or tell you that you will make it later, just get it out of the way now and continue your day with one last thing to manage.

With regard to New Year's resolutions, most lists include this right near the summit - but what does it have to do with productivity? A little, in fact.

AsRobert C. Pozen explains for theBrookings institutionAn exercise routine can give you more energy throughout the day thanks to the stimulation of mitochondria in your cells.

"It gives you more energy to practice physically, but it also means more energy for your brain, strengthen your mental production," he writes. "A modest exercise habit can help you no longer specify in old age, give you more energy to take the day and improve your mood. So stop excuses, find a similar peer group and start at Exercise today. "

When you take breaks throughout the day, it is beneficial for the overall productivity to transform at least one of these breaks in a briefmeditation. It's a moment to try to relax fully and specify your spirit of all distractions.

"Find small moments throughout the day to meditate," saysDeborah Sweeney, CEO ofMycorporation. "This time, will help you center and put to the ground of being in the moment and expressing gratitude for the little things that could be forgotten during the day."

A 2018 study published inPsychological science Points in how meditation can provide a person more attention throughout their day. If you are new to meditation,Psychology today Offers these helpful tips for beginners to help you get started.

The classicBen Franklin The exhortation, "early in bed and get up early, makes a healthy man, rich and wise," has been proved by the science of being advice on wise. For example, a 2014 study published in the journalCognitive therapy and research have found that those who are going to lie later are more likely to undergo negative and repetitive thoughts.

Christopher Randler, a biology teacher at the University of Education in Heidelberg, Germany, writes: "With regard to business success, morning people hold important maps. My previous searches have shown that they tend to get better grades at school, which bring them better colleges, which then lead to better job opportunities. Morning people also anticipate problems and try to minimize them. "The researcher found that those who wake up early tend to be more persistent, cooperative, pleasant and conscientious.

"Research shows that ... looking at something green-green from the window, desktops or even the green screen - can make us feel a little better and increase our productivity, "saysDarko Jacimovicco-founder ofWHATOBECOME. "In addition, the theory of attention restoration suggests that nature has therapeutic benefits on people and allows us to recharge and refresh, resume concentration and increase global productivity."

So pick up some plants and add some flora to your workspace.

You are more likely to supplement many tasks, whether it's an exercise routine or a writing mission, byTell someone else You will try to do it.

"You are more likely to reach your goals if you have a partner of responsibility or partners," saysNina Dafe, a network advisor for women entrepreneurs. "It is because of the many benefits that responsibility takes into account responsibility. As such, responsibility and master's groups are in great ways to stay focused and motivated - especially if you have trouble staying on the good way independently. "

Even more impact than that of a accountability partner, you must pay when you blow a deadline or you do not follow what you said.

"Urgent things are usually done," saysJeremy Redleaf, co-founder of the productivity companyTasted. "These are the important goals that have no time that we really have to look at. Send a friend a list of important tasks every month and pay $ 1 for everyone you do not fill. We have seen that this leads to a remarkable results in our community. "

It can be a bad image of thinking aboutproductivity, but especially when we start a new year and you plan to know what changes you would like to do in your life, it is good to think about what really matters to you before starting to worry about the resolution of these daily on the back .

"Values ​​are aspiring and can not simply be checked as an objective," explains the clinical psychologistStephanie J. Wong, PhD. "However, they can help us lead a more authentic and productive life. Ask yourself," participate in X event or X behavior, consistent with values ​​or incompatible? "This helps eliminate problematic or non-productive behaviors."

These will be these big image values ​​that your daily priorities and projects will flow.

Define your values ​​and priorities is not an effort once a year. Once you are clear about what matters most to you, you remember regularly. The goal is to not lose sight of why you work on what you are working on-or deciding that you should move on.

"Remember your more important goals and goals to create a decision filter for your projects," says the management coachMegan Accardo. "We all have the same amount of hours in the day, but we have to be clear about what we say yes, because it means saying no something else."

Keeping your to-back in your head usually means that you forget them, or you continue to turn them into your head without doing anything about them, which prevents your brain from focusing on more useful things. Sometimes a simple written list can go around, butFrank Buck, author ofOrganize yourself!: Time Management for Home Managers, suggests getting a little more sophisticated.

"I use a free web tool calledRemember the milk, as well as the mobile company application, "he says". Whenever a task comes from your way, put it on the list with a due date for you to want to see this task again. "

"We all have tasks to do at the same time every year or every month," says Buck. "Put them on your digital task list with a date and frequency they should repeat. They will automatically appear at the right time."

This can change the batteries in the smoke alarm or call to register on an important customer, you do not have an urgent business, but you want to keep in touch.

Your day will inevitably bring an attack of new things you need to make you. Just as you finish a project or move something forward, four other things appear that it should be addressed. Buck has advice for that.

"Use a paper log and digital task list to handle the incoming information stream," he said. "Trave the details of phone calls and meetings in the newspaper. Later in the day, look at everything you have written and make decisions about" to-donations ". Put the results of the thought on your task list digital. "

You have probably heard the advice that you can accomplish more effectively at work on a major project by breaking it in "smaller parts". This is true, up to a point, Buck says, but it could be more useful to think of every project as a series of "following actions" instead. That is, do you ask what the next action is to be taken to advance that? If you have a thesis to write, the next step can check a book on the subject at the library or simply researchwhobooks to check. Instead of thinking about the giant and amorphous project that needs to be done, clarify what you can actually do right now and take this action.

"Work these next steps in your task list for each day," says Buck. "The secret is to free them clearly so that they are easy to do."

Hand-in-hand with the turn "stuff" in "actions" becomes clear on everything you really want to do. Instead of spending mental energy thinking "I really need to refuse this website", you are much better thinking about thinking a little more deeply, answer the question: "What do I Exactly want to do with the site? "

"When you write goals or tasks, always try to be as descriptive as possible," saysCrow Beria, founder of the Consultancy brandBrandelaxis. "With clear and concise goals, you will feel less resistant to start - and it's usually the biggest obstacle in the first place."

Beria adds that when you're done, you'll feel more accomplished, because when tasks are valid, you could end up doing a huge amount of work and never really want to do "progress".

"Many people often blur in the morning to find their keys, their wallet, their phone, etc." says Wong. Instead of starting your day with it rushing, it suggests you rather to prepare everything you need for the next day, the night before the specified day. This will reduce the risk of being late for an important meeting or drop your children to school. . "

He will also mentally prepare you for what you will do the next day. You are going to wake up with your mind already prepared to tackle what you have on the agenda and you will feel a few steps with all your packaged and ready business.

And talking about being organized, let's talk about what you're going to do about everything you go from screwing to your desk. maleSuggests a tool to combat the clutter of things you will need to refer to the line: a Tickler file.

"A large part of the desktop clutter comes from papers that you need a little time in the future," he says. "With a set of suspended files labeled 1-31 (for every day of the month) and 12 other folders behind them (one for each month of the year), you have a place to put packets necessary for the future. When You open today's file, there is everything you have decided to want to do today. "

If many of our tasks are fast items, we can take care of in a few minutes, there are also these things that require a serious concentration. It is important that its productivity put aside time during the week for this type of "deep work".

"It means that no access to social media, no e-mail, no phone," saysPriya Jindal, founder ofNEXTPAT. "Determine what you want to do during these sessions (about two hours twice a week), then show these deliverables."

Speaking of discount distractions, one of the biggest productivity killers during the day is too many meetings. Although they can often be a good opportunity to cope with colleagues, it is important to limit the time you spend at meetings every day to avoid losing productive hours of work.

"Choose proactively one day a week for not having meetings", suggestsChristian amber, founder of the productivity softwareWonderful software solutions. "Maybe it's Friday without meetings or frustration. Choose a day that can be devoted exclusively to work. Give your own meeting of your own theme, so it mentally establishes a place in your mind and becomes a priority. By establishing this habit, this will allow you more time to ensure that in-depth work can devote to your critical projects and priorities. "

"At the beginning of the day, plan an essential priority you need to do during the day," suggests Christian. "Now, plan it on your calendar. Every day of work. This will help you get used to ensuring that your top priority is made every day."

At the very least, enter a constant routine that gives the beginning of the predictability of your day and your energy - perhaps with a brief morning workout, an affirmation or reading a chapter of a book that you appreciate. The repetition will start you for the day to come.

Make a list of the morning to make its value, but it can be more productive to take this type of inventory at the end of your day.

"Even in the right days, many to-backs or follow-up will come in your mind," says Christian. "As part of your transition to the evening, the brain discharge all open loops on your task list."

You will find that by putting it on paper, you feel a greater sense of control over the many incomplete items you have remaining and will be better prepared to address them the next day.

"It's like closing the door of your work day," as Christian says.

No matter the production of productivity, no one can do everything alone or. Really productive people know the power to ask for help when it's worth.

"Task lists can be completed if you identify who could help you with specific tasks," explains Wong. "Do you need to drop a book at the library? Maybe your other significant works are closer than the library that you are? Do you have a more effective colleague than you in the inventory organization And that he has more time to devote to the task? "

You are surrounded by resources that can help you be more productive - do not be afraid to exploit them.

Although it can feel easier in the moment to accept everything you have posed, in the long run, for the good of this relationship and your own productivity, you will do better to make yourself comfortable say "no When you know it's not something you can swing.

"It may seem crazy and interested, but in this busy world, no one can put productivity to the stake of the challenge of someone," saysJessica Chase, Sales and Marketing Manager forLOAD LOANS.

Your list of things to do is always longer than you can realist that you can approach a day or in a year, if you are honest with yourself. And while different people have their preferences for how many things you shouldreallyTry to tackle in a given day, Accardo suggests keeping it in one.

"Focus on an important project for the day and secondary projects as if necessary," she says. "Multitasking considerably reduces productivity".

Productive people have a specific sense of when they are at their point and the most likely to get the best performance of themselves. For many, it's in the morning, while others prefer to tackle great projects later in the day. Whatever your preference, plan your projects accordingly, so you get the higher level thinking that your mind is the clearest, then you save the deposit or email without forgetting when your brain is on your autopilot.

Being productive does not mean power through hours and hours of work without stopping. Nobody works well this way and research 2014 ofStanford University And elsewhere has shown that the planning of breaks as part of your daily routine can make you work more creatively and productively.

"Plan the breaks of positivity to take off," suggests Accardo. "Since we know that our mind works like a muscle, we must intentionally plan regular breaks - ideally every 60 to 90 minutes. Many productive people are stuck, take a break and come back with a great idea! C ' is also a good time to grate gratitude and increase your positivity. "

Similar to the breaks during the day, you must also have fun and relax as seriously as you take your work - and it means drawing a Stark line between your "personal" time and your business hours.

"Mark your personal appointments and social appointments in advance so you can give you permission to find pleasure," says Accardo.

And when you take these breaks, make sure to fully appreciate them, experimenting them in the moment rather than letting your mind wandering at work waiting for you when you come back. Having fun in this way will you allow you to work better when you return to the office.

If you are looking for a more formal way to approach your breaks, thePomodoro Technique. Appointed for tomato-shaped cooking timer that helps play-time practitioners, this approach falls mainly on your 30-minute cycle hours.

"We are working continuously for 25 minutes with maximum attention and take a break between 5 minutes," says Jacimovic. "I think this method is very effective because it gives us the time to rest frequently, restart and fill our batteries."

Although each project needs to take care of a lot of actions to get it at a place of completion, it is also important that its productivity has a clear picture of what all this work is for.

"Concentrate on the result you want to" adviseRusty Gaillard, a coach of life withSILICON VALLEY DREAMBUILDERS. "If you want the promotion, clear what you really need to get promoting. Most things about our task lists do not make us the result we want."

The discovery of the final product will help you make better decisions on how to get there, while inspiring you to continue working for your goal.

Look at your browser: Does there have a dozen open tabs, even if you only use one? What about your office: Are there six open documents when you actively actively work to any of them? It's time to close a few.

"Operating systems and software updates have allowed us to create more and more content on our screens", sayForam ShethandNicole wood ofAma La Vida, a career coaching company based in Chicago. "The elimination of footprint is also a good thing unequivocally. All these pages and documents will always be there when you are really ready to attend. Give yourself time and space to get to where you must be on individual tasks rather than thinking that you can complete everything at a time. "

For many, e-mail is something that's justalways Open, so you can answer when a message goes. But how often is itreally necessary?

"Beyond the obvious distractions of our mobile devices, we are also bombarded with email notifications on our laptops and work computers," say Sheth and Wood. "With what we already know about distraction problems and our goal, the creation of time defined throughout your day to verify that emails will help keep your concentration on the task to be accomplished rather than skipping sporadically. thought."

They suggest developing a planning (and adjust it as needed) so that you will check your emails and that you make notifications being extinguished when working on other things.

This is not the size of your inbox - it's the way you use it.

"Turn off the things it does to distract you, like notifications and chimes pop up. All you can answer in two minutes or less, do it. Otherwise, tap your calendar, delegate or delete» , Jindal declares. "Something else should be filed as part of a list of tasks."

She adds that you should also know that it is not necessary to answer everything, and certainly not immediately.

"Being capable of quick sorting of a inbox, then focus on tasks instead of answers makes you much more productive than returning a response without substance," she says. "You are also saving hours making sure you shoot effectively."

Email is bad enough as a distraction, but social media platforms are even greater tutors of time and productivity.

"Unless you work in social media, try limiting your use of social media," saysJames Dyble, general manager ofGlobal Group of Son. "From my research, I noticed that navigation on social media is regularly a huge drainager of productivity. The reason is that the situation is essential on social media. Therefore, your mind is everywhere."

When you are at the time of a movie, playing or preparing for takeoff, and the smartphone distractions are explicitly prohibited, you turn your phone in airplane mode. So why not expand this approach to other aspects of your work day?

"Not only are the messages and striking alerts of the focus will be stopped, but you will be less inclined to check your phone with the knowledge that nothing new will be there under this setting", say Sheth and Wood . "Place your phone on the airplane mode and out of the view, will allow you to be much more present in your work and with anything else you have to accomplish."

For those of you who have the impression to go directly to airplane mode, it's too diving, Sheth and Wood Recommend downloadUsage applications, which allow you to define limits and restrictions on all applications on your phone, including messages and other extremely distracting functions.

"Applications like these also give you important (and sometimes shocking) data to the manner of the number of times you unlock your phone and the total time spent on," they say.

Verification of emails and social media are just some of the bad habits you need to check your check when you try to have a productive day. But the good habits you are trying to be part of your daily routine?

"Use a habit tracking system and check a box for every day of habit", suggests Beria. "There is a lot of science behind the follow-up habits. For one, it is ideal to know that you keep the coches in progress. Two is a self-liability system, especially when you place your usual tracker somewhere, it is visible at any time. "

Beria adds that this self-discipline process will eventually provide you with the most rewarding results, instill internal motivation in you to continue the positive behavior.

It's not just about keeping a trace of your habits, but also keep track of the duration of these habits. Whether you use the Pomodoro technique or you prefer another approach, a timer can be a major help to become more productive.

Just as you should pay attention to the reservation of your day, you do not want to make too many decisions or projects that will drain your mental energy and prevent you from dealing with significant choices later in the day.

"The decision decision is a real thing," says Accardo. "The brain works like a muscle and gets tired like the day continues. For this reason, we need to address our most important project. Write the name of the project that you will spend the first hours of the day to work and then arrives all of following. "

If you notice that you hit a wall on a particular task, consider trying to stop and move on.

"So often, we took an attempt to finish something that we can not see the forest anymore, which can lead to errors or boredom," Jindal explains. "Doing physically and do something slightly different, all that could be, can help our brain shoot on new threads, open our eyes in a slightly different perspective and give our mind a little rest for that It can come back to the grind when you come back. "

This can be part of a formal break that you take every 45 minutes, or a more informal setting change when you find yourself hitting a slow patch in your work.

This change of speed can sometimes work better when you physically go from one place to another.

"Have you ever find yourself sitting at your desk with the intention of" doing work "to make only half an hour later that you are still procrastinating? " demandYAZ PURNELL, founder of the personal finance websiteThe wallet butterfly. "It's easy for this type of procrastination to become a habit in which we associate our office and our typical work environment with boredom and stagnation. Change your landscape by leading us to a workspace, a coffee or a walk Five-minute walk for fresh air outdoors to make all the difference to help you move from procrastination to work mode. "

Racheal cook, CEO and founder of theCEO, suggests a "weekly direction date" to get a handful on productivity. But that does not mean meeting the current CEO of your business.

"This time dedicated to your calendar helps plan and hierarchize your week by design," says Cook. "This is an opportunity to follow the progress made against your greatest plan for the year, determine if you are on a track or turn off and make the necessary adjustments to achieve your goals."

Following the logic to approach your work as if you are the CEO of your own life, Cook also suggests to assign dollar values ​​per hour to specific tasks, to make sure you use your resources correctly.

"Score of $ 10 / hour tasks up to $ 10,000 / hour", she says. "For example, $ 10 tasks could include administrative work at the office, while at home, it might be to discharge the dishwasher. Delegate these tasks to the secretaries or at home to your children. As You make your way to the chain, $ 10,000 tasks should focus on your highest value skill. "

Different tasks and projects require different parts of your brain and your different resources, so it is logical that you are more efficient by doing as much as you can to collect similar tasks.

"Breaking every day of the week into themes that help you reach your five main tasks," Cook says. It defines them as "determining the mission and the vision, guiding values ​​and culture, creating the strategic plan, lead the team and taking big decisions", but they can vary according to your requests and ambitions . For example, cooking breaks its week by dedicating a day entirely to its customers and another to create content.

We are customary creatures and as much as we can do to build routines in our days and our weeks, the more we are going to create positive habits that stick.

"Use repeated appointments to work on projects that take long periods", suggests a management coach and a consultantFriend Devero. "For example, create an appointment every Wednesday just 3 hours to write this novel that you plan to start from college."

Just as you need to optimize your inbox and your task list, your calendar must also be approached in a way that optimizes its value to your personal productivity. Although each calendar is ideal for following appointments and provide reminders, more than you can do with yours.

"For example, when planning a meeting in Google Calendar, it automatically generates a Google dating code so that you can simply click on the link and the conference is configured and you were expecting to reach you," explainsMark Webster, co-founder of the marketing training companyChopper. "No additional planning, no need to send invitations or worry about people in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's a powerful tool for rationalizing scheduled meetings, especially video conferences."

There are many other ways to get more of your Google calendar (Here's 25 To help you start).

As you become more productive, you get a greater appreciation for how much quantity can be accomplished with a minute here and a minute, or, on the other hand, how fast a feeling of accomplishment can flow when these minutes slide unnecessary. meetings or habits of sushaking time.

Webster recommends manually following how every minute is spent.

"These minutes are added," he says. "That's why I still think about the long-term implications and how I can make these small tasks even more productive."

Many of these tips have focused on how to get the most out of a day or an hour, but there is a great productive power in the perspective of the week, looking at how your time is spent. ContractorRomi Neustadt, author of the nextYou can have everything just have not at the same time!,suggests creating a weekly plan.

"Make a list of everything you do in a week - and I mean everything - and how long do you have to do it," she says. Then label each task according to its function, its quality and a call. After that, Neustadt says, delete or delegate all that you "hate" or "think you should do". It recommends spending 20 minutes spending this before the start of each week.

Beyond your day or week, you will also want to perform a monthly review of how you progress on your more important goals.

"Although goals can be important, you often do not control when you reach them," saysTrevor Lohrbeer, founder ofOptimization of the day, an application that helps people plan their day. "By focusing on your actions daily, you create the necessary momentum necessary to achieve your goals. Focus on your goals once a month, they help you to direct this momentum and make sure you continue to direct yourself to the right way."

Productivity does not only concern work, work and more work. To make sure you advance the momentum, you have to retreat and see how far you came.

"Your productivity is to a large extent linked to your self-confidence and self-confidence", explainsYoram Baltinestster, consultant and executive coach withDecisive action workshops. "Nothing strengthens these attitudes more than recognizing progress. Make sure you think about a few moments at the end of the day on the progress you have made."

When you can not get to progress directly, Baltinester adds, you always get an experience that will result in a better probability of success in the future. So, even be unproductive can produce valuable results.