11 tips on how to become more productive and happier in the New Year! This has helped me exceed my goals this year and become a happier person too, really!
How to become more productive and happier in the New Year, that is the million dollar question right??!! Well, it is and has been for me. When a new year approaches I am always thinking back on things I’ve done that distracted me from reaching my goals, and what I’ve done to push ahead and make them happen!
Habits of Productive People
I don’t think I’m unusual in the fact that I am extremely driven. Driven to not only make the most money possible, but to spend quality time with my children. Having a great marriage is a focus, staying in shape, the list goes on and on.
I want it all, and to a certain extent that is possible but I have to stay organized and on track to do so….. I’ll say that lists are the secret to many of my successes!
I’m a paper and pencil girl. Yes I have a cell phone and I have many alerts that go off every day so I don’t forget things, but I NEED to write them all down too. I’ve had a daily planner since High School, and still do today. I would be LOST without it.
I don’t know about you but something happens when I literally write down a task I need to get done, and the satisfaction I get by crossing it off when it’s completed. (affiliate link in post)
How to be more productive in the New Year
- Use a daily planner that has a gratitude journal incorporated into it – Panda Planner is a great one I have! Not only is it great for jotting down tasks to be completed, it keeps you organized, has monthly/daily/weekly sections, and reminds you to jot down things you are excited about/grateful for each day!
- Take a small break – Whether that means you go out for a walk outside for 15 minutes (my choice), go to the living room to have a cup of coffee and listen to some music, or go grocery shopping by yourself, taking a short break each day actually makes you MORE productive…totally true for me.
Boost Your Productivity
- Organize & purge – Keep your work area free from clutter. Clutter actually creates a stress in most people and you may not even realize it. With just a few small baskets labeled with what is in them you can create a more productive work space that makes you breathe a bit easier, and happier over all = a more productive work day. You can print out my January purge checklist to get started on this!
- Exercise – I know…uggggg. We all know we need to do it but it will actually make you more productive at work, benefit your health, AND keep you in shape too.
Getting those natural endorphins to start working again during and after even a moderate workout gets me moving more every time and clears my mind….I get new ideas while working out too!
How to become more productive and motivated
- Keep yourself hydrated – I know it sounded silly to me too but when my husband said to try and drink a solid 6 (at least) water bottles each day I could feel the difference!
- My head is clearer, I feel better, and am much more productive with more energy throughout the day when I do.
- Make realistic goals – At the end of the year make quarterly and an end of the year goal for yourself. Focus on work goals but you may want to include personal goals as well such as weight loss, spending more time with your kids (set a schedule you can stick by for this…like every Tuesday from 5-7), or having a monthly date night.
- Keep track of your goals – Use your Panda Planner to write your quarterly goals into that date so when you flip that page you see where you wanted to be and see how close you are to attaining it! If you’ve fallen short it will be a friendly reminder to get back on track. 😉
- On a monthly basis keep track of your financials and write them down in your planner too. This helps me look back and see how much I’ve grown month to month.
- Keeps me motivated and more productive in the next month.
- Set aside time for yourself – We ALL need this to be as productive as possible! Even if it is for 2 hours on the first Saturday of each month it is a good time to clear your head, get refocused, and re-motivate yourself for the rest of the month.
- I love to plan a family get away at least twice a month too so we all can reconnect. We’ve had some of our best family vacations traveling locally.
How to be more productive at home
- Create a mastermind group – This is especially helpful if you work from home and do not have regular interaction with other adults on a daily basis.
- It can become isolating working in 4 walls all alone, so finding a group of like minded people to bounce ideas off of, help keep you motivated, ask questions of, and push you to succeed is VERY helpful and has benefitted me immensely over the past 3 years.
- We get together once a month to talk about our goals, our wins and losses for the month, and just vent. It. Is. Priceless!
- It can become isolating working in 4 walls all alone, so finding a group of like minded people to bounce ideas off of, help keep you motivated, ask questions of, and push you to succeed is VERY helpful and has benefitted me immensely over the past 3 years.
Really unplug – Many of us have jobs where we could work 24 hours a day….mine is one of those. Social media never stops, but I need to. Setting strict work hours is very helpful to become more productive in the New Year.
Yes there are exceptions and you have to be flexible for those times but being available 24 hours a day for work means you aren’t really present for your family or yourself and there needs to be a division. You all deserve that
How to be productive everyday
- Celebrate your successes – If you’re like me you are driven! You want to hit that goal mid year, and once you do you are on to the end of the year metric. Many times never celebrating the successes along the way.
- Ok so you don’t need a party but share with your spouse, mastermind group, or a close friend that you hit or exceeded your goal.
- It is important because they want to celebrate it with you!
- I am guilty of not doing this, but have done a better job lately doing things like creating a New Years tree.
How to be more effective at work
These are my 11 tips for how to become more productive and happier in the New Year! I will say it is always a struggle and I will never be perfect and that is okay.
- Just so long as I make even small improvements each year I call that a success. If my kids are happy, healthy, my husband and I are connected, and we have a roof over our heads we are a okay.
I won’t lose that drive to grow my business and make more money year after year but focusing on the overall picture and including personal goals when you’re keeping track of what you’ve accomplished is immensely important as well.
