It’s officially 2017, which means that for the next few weeks, you may have to throw some punches to get a treadmill at the gym, and more people will be hanging out in the produce section of Whole Foods. Whether you are a resolution-making kind of person or not, the beginning of a new year offers you a great opportunity to try some new things and implement some positive habits. One of the most beneficial, doable things to work on in 2017 is increasing productivity–even if you think you’ve got that area under control.
Productivity is necessary, but it can be harder to find when you haven’t gotten enough sleep, you are bored with your task or you can’t stop thinking about other things. But, alas, work sometimes requires us to do things, even when we don’t feel like it. Sigh. So, how can you find the sheer force of will to just do something that needs to be done, despite feeling like all you want to do is surf Facebook and eat Cheetos? Mustering up the will to be productive is hard, especially following a busy and exhausting holiday season, but there are some things you can do now to help you push through these times. Here’s how:
- Clean up your workspace: When your desk is cluttered and disorganized, you will find it distracting, even on the best of days.
- Divide your tasks: Divide and conquer your to-do list, starting with the smallest and easiest things, working your way to the most involved items.
- Eliminate distractions: Play music in the background, buy some noise-eliminating headphones or do whatever you need to do to get rid of those things that rob you of your focus.
- Reward yourself: As silly as it sounds, motivate yourself with simple rewards. Motivation is an extremely important and underutilized component in productivity. Find what works for you.
Sometimes, you just have to do what needs to be done. It’s not always fun, it may not feel rewarding all the time, but that does not mean you get to just sit it out. Make it easier to power through these moments by implementing a few of these habits. Resolutions or not, a few small changes can make a big impact, even when you don’t feel like working.
By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC
