It’s almost the new year and just like last year, you vow to be as productive, efficient, and successful as you can this coming year. If you nailed your resolutions this year, well good for you. But if you feel like you could do better, here are a few tips to up your productivity game and kick-off the new year with a new and improved you:

Tip #1: Write a ‘to-NOT-do’ list

Everyone knows the concept of a to-do list, but what about a to-NOT-do list? A ‘to-NOT-do’ list forces you to look at your biggest time wasters and lets you focus on the things that make more economic sense or the things that get you in the ‘flow’. It helps you audit your activities and find out which ones can be delegated or deleted entirely.

Tip #2: Plan activities around your energy levels

Everyone has their most productive time. For some people it will be at the start of the day, mid-day for some, and some work really well into the night. Find out your most productive time and schedule your most critical or most demanding work around where your energy peaks at the highest. If you’re an early bird, plan to work on your taxes in the early morning. If you’re a night owl, plan to write that paper at night. If you’re a confused pigeon, choose a part of the day that works best for you. 

You can use the same concept for scheduling your week, too. Mondays are slow burn, since you’re coming off the weekend – so do your low demand tasks then. Peak productivity days are Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Energy tends to drop on Thursdays. On Fridays, you’re toast.

Tip #3: Schedule procrastination

YES, you read that right. Plan for procrastination breaks. If you’ve deluded yourself that you will ever procrastinate on a task – you’re setting yourself up for failure. When you’re hard at work – some distraction can be a good thing. They help you get over decision fatigue and give your brain a mental break. Indulge temporarily (the operative word) in a time wasting activity for a few minutes – 15 seems to be a good number. Then get back to being hard at work.

Tip #4: Automate

If there are redundant tasks in your life that you can automate, by all means do so. Get a programmable coffee machine. Pick one day (I suggest Sundays) to lay out your daily outfits for the week, so you don’t have to waste time picking out what to wear for the day. There is a reason why Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs wear the same outfits day in and day out – it helps them get over decision fatigue so that they can use that mental energy towards making more important decisions. 

Do you have favorite productivity hacks you want to share? Share them with us in the comments. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today. Stay safe and healthy!

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp