What's better than a New Year's resolution? How about real, lasting change in your daily habits? In case you haven't noticed, I'm a little obsessed with productivity. Often in this column my goal is to help readers boost their productivity which leads to being able to think and hone one's creativity. Clearly I often wonder if the advice is actually effective and so I try hard to test anything that I propose to you. And I promise you, I won't bother bringing up anything that I haven't tested. Like you, it doesn't mean I continue to use every tip, but I've have tried them. I encourage my team a  t RealWired to try them and I really believe they are useful or I wouldn't bother posting them here! Everything isn't going to work for everyone, but everything I post will work for someone...I don't bother with "theory." The truth is you can make changes starting now that will become productive habits. 

Without a doubt my favorite productivity practice is waking up in the wee hours of the morning before the rest of the world is up. Do your research and you'll find it's a favorite for some of the most productive people out there too. And remember it's not about creating more hours in the day-that's not possible-or severely cutting back on sleep. The way to take advantage of this is to shift your sleep routine so that you can rise during a time all for yourself. Yes, selfish alone time to do just what you want to do before the demands of the day hit you. This is a truly luxurious habit once you start to feel the benefits. Prior to that, when the alarm goes off earlier, you'll just talk yourself into the fact that the extra 60 minutes of dreams you're having are worth it. You must make a vow to wake up every day at least 60 minutes before anyone else in your household for at least 3 months or you won't reap the benefits long term.

The rest of the productivity habits follow in no particular order. You have heard them before, but maybe this time you'll "hear them differently" because you might be different.  We all change, right? Please prioritize what matters. It's one of the real secrets to happiness. Spend time on the things that really matter to you-your priorities. When you're motivated to work on things that really matter, (notice I didn't say the things you like. Sometimes the things we prioritize are things we don't like that much, but we prioritize them so we can enjoy other things), you are able to get more done in a shorter period of time. Do your best to block out distractions. Sometimes a simple thing like closing your door or hanging a funny sign outside of it that lets people know you are in temporary "hunkered down" mode works really well.

And of course, be intentional about email. Try your best not to open or even scan read anything you don't have time to respond to. This is one of my biggest problems. It's like that last 10 pounds I'm always trying to lose. I support my habit of scanning email by at least color coordinating what I will do with it the minute I take time to scan it and that helps a lot.  Rereading email is a colossal waste of time! Remember that most emails don't need an immediate response-or any reply at all. Waiting while others respond (if there are others involved) has an added bonus that you'll have more data so your response is more impactful and useful. Reserve your precious time for email replies that deserve your time and attention.

I know of one pretty productive person who would do even better if they did this one thing - create a list of the tasks that can be done in 10 minutes or less.  Keep this list available at all times so those odd moments of time like being on hold, waiting in line or waiting for an appointment or a co-worker to finish something can be turned into productive segments of work. You can also use this list as your "go to" when you feel the tug of procrastination. You can quickly complete a task, which gives you a little energy boost, making the transition into working on something more challenging or complex easier.

And lastly, practice rigorous self-evaluation. It's the essential habit. We must continuously ask ourselves: What can I do to get more work done faster? Should I revisit my priorities?  Do I need to focus my time better? How can I eliminate time wasters?  Do I need better time budgets? Do I need to make better plans? Don't set yourself up for failure by making big, sweeping changes. Accept that self-management and self-improvement come one small step at a time. It's a never-ending process because there is always room to improve.

Motivation is what gets us started and that's why the new year is a good time to try different things. Habit is what keeps you doing those things that become useful. I know for a fact that all the things I've proposed can give you a more productive 2015. The truth is at least one will really help you be happier and satisfied with your life's work and play!  Happy New Year!
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