5 Ways to Be More Productive This New Year

We’re all too familiar with excitedly jotting down New Year’s resolutions and sticking to them for barely a week. Instead of giving in to the hype and instability of a New Year’s resolution, let’s see how you can be a more productive person in the New Year.

This New Year, instead of making fleeting promises like paying for a gym membership at the beginning of the year only to end up quitting in a couple of weeks, or start working on a DIY project and leave it to gather dust bunnies in a corner of your garage, create a plan to accomplish and see them through to the end.

Here a few things you must totally do to be more productive this new year:

  1. Review the last year

Focus on what worked for you the previous year and carry it forward. Don’t hesitate to abandon what didn’t work for you. Figure out how to get better at something you’re good at. If you’re a writer, you have to write more. If you want to get in shape, you have to focus on your diet and exercise routine.

  1. Decide where you want to be a year from now

Do you want to climb the hierarchy ladder of your career? Do you want to switch to a career field you’re actually passionate about? Do you want to be a better friend? A better spouse? Do you want to learn a new dance form? Do you want to move halfway across the continent and start afresh? This is probably a lot easier said than done, but then you know you have to decide what restaurant you’re going to before you can actually eat!

  1. Creating a plan to get where you want to be

Sure, you want to lose weight and get in shape. But buying a gym membership is not a plan. You’re working on a novel, but it’s definitely not going to get finished overnight. You need to define the steps all through the way. “Today, I’m going to do 300 squats before I go to work,” or “Today, I will write 2500 words towards my novel,” are solid short term goals that will get you closer to the long-term ones. Have checkpoints along the way. It could be weekly or monthly. As you reach each milestone, you’ll find yourself more motivated to reach the end goal.

  1. Connecting with people

Whether it’s taking your family out to dinner, going to watch a game with friends, taking your significant other on a vacation, or simply buying food for a homeless person, such acts build personality, character and relationships. Share your work, dreams and aspirations with people. Encouragement from people will keep you motivated in the long run.

  1. Keep checking on yourself

Sleep more and sleep well. Keep your phone and work away at night. Eat healthy, stay fit. Don’t forget to go in for your medical check-up. Know when to say yes and when to say no. Sometimes, it’s a good thing to step outside your comfort zone and try something new, but sometimes you just need to say no and stay where you are.

Most importantly, you don’t have to wait till January 1 to start doing these things. Begin now and you’ll be in the flow by the time the New Year is here. Say goodbye to setting resolutions on January 1st that will be forgotten by February.