How To Be More Productive For The New Year

            We all know someone who seems to be able to accomplish a million and one tasks a day. That person is able to work their job, take care of their kids, grocery shop, retain a clean household, and have a social life at the end of the day. What do really productive people do that we do not? Here are some tips on how to function more like they do.

            The first thing to do is pick your priorities. You are responsible for the activities that you partake in your life. If you are interested in having a big family, but focused on maintaining your business, you may need to choose which one is more important. It is essential that you focus on finding time for the things that you enjoy.

            The second thing to keep in mind is going for efficiency. You are not able to do everything well. Focus on the activities or business strategies that come naturally to you. Those seem to come easier and are enjoyed more as well. Design your life to meet your personal wants.

            Third, try integrating your activities together. It can be hard to maintain work, family, play, and friendships separately. Instead, find activities that can combine them together. Find friendships in coworkers or get the family together and do a favorite activity of yours. It is very rewarding to spend more time with the people you care about while doing the things you enjoy.

            The fourth tip is to manage time-wasters. These could be things like social networks, family, employees, co-workers, or friends that divert your attention away from your job or other activities. It is essential to limit non-supportive contact with these people as well as manage the amount of time spent on social networks. Websites such as Facebook can easily distract you from a goal and kill valuable time. Practice time management and use it sparingly.

            The fifth tip is to be an active listener. The more you pay attention to rules or directions, the less time you have to spend re-reading or figuring out what was said. Paying attention helps save time that could be used doing something more exciting. Listen closely and you will be able to spare yourself a few extra minutes or hours in your day.

            The final tip towards being productive is to lighten up. As much as we like to think so, we cannot do everything. Keep a list of all projects or tasks that need to be done and cross them off when accomplished. This will help organize all that you need to get done and give you a time frame of when to accomplish them by. Although you may not be able to complete the list in a day or even a week, each task is a small victory until the list is completed.