A Productive New Year

A Productive New Year

A Productive New Year

Each and every January it seems we find ourselves reflecting on the past year and the highs and lows that accompanied it. We often think of what we would have changed and how we can do better in the future. A lot of times when we’re going through this thought process we try to determine how to best accomplish our goals for the new year – whether it be to get that raise, start exercising or simply to find more time to spend with family and friends. Although thinking of these goals is the first step to accomplishing them, there are three specific tools I’ve found that help me get on track to complete what I’ve set out to do over the course of the New Year:

  1. Writing it down
    There’s something to be said for writing down a task you’d like to get done or a goal you’d like to achieve and crossing it off your list. Studies have found that simply writing things down has led to a greater increase in the likelihood that they will get done. For me, making a list allows me to prioritize what I’d like to accomplish and when, and further, allows me to see a bigger picture as to how best to use my time. You can do this as little or as often as you’d like by writing a monthly, weekly or even a daily schedule to help you execute your plans.
     
  2. Starting a morning ritual
    A lot of complaints we hear about in our world of constant communication is that we never have any time to ourselves - that we are always subject to the phone ringing or a flow of emails interrupting us at any given time. With this dilemma, we often ask ourselves how we can get anything accomplished? To that I answer – start a morning ritual. After graduating from law school and beginning my first job as an attorney, I made it a habit to wake up an hour earlier than needed to simply give myself time to get the little things done that I knew may have to be pushed off later depending on what would arise at work or other obligations that may pop up over the day. Having this time to myself to either accomplish small chores or get in a workout allowed me to start my day with a sense of productivity and ease of mind that I had achieved even a small task that I wouldn’t have to worry about later in the day.
     
  3. Asking questions
    Many times, the reason we are held back from accomplishing a goal or a task is because we simply don’t know how to go about tackling it. I’ve found that asking questions, whether it be to your boss, a friend or even a family member can often provide you with some insight as to how to succeed in completing a goal. We often times think that others will look down on us if we ask for help without realizing that these people also want us to succeed and are there to help us along the way. Don’t be afraid to ask questions in 2018!

Here’s to a happy and productive New Year!


Each and every January it seems we find ourselves reflecting on the past year and the highs and lows that accompanied it. We often think of what we would have changed and how we can do better in the future