Now that 2016 is(finally) coming to an end, we want to make sure you start the new year on theright note. All of those ideas, projects, and new ventures that you’ve beenputting off can get done no matter how busy you think you are. It will justtake some slight tweaks to your daily schedule.
We mined Fortunefor some of the top productivity tips that experts, psychologists, andentrepreneurs shared with us this year. Here are seven actionable tips you canincorporate in your day starting now:
Do this imaginary ‘end of year’ exercise
Laura Vanderkam,author of I Know How She Does It, has a mental exercise to help you get moredone in less time. First, imagine that it’s the end of 2017, and you havesuccessfully achieved your professional goals. “What three to five things did you do that made it so incredible?” she asks. Do the same thing with yourpersonal life, highlighting key events that you would share with your familyand friends. Now you have a list of your personal and professional goals forthe new year. Vanderkam says the next step is to break them down into small,manageable steps that you can tackle each week.
Start your day two hours earlier
As great as itfeels to hit the snooze button time and time again, this practice may bekilling your mornings. Matt Mayberry, a former NFL linebacker and performancestrategist, says you should set your alarm for at least two hours before youhave to be at work. “You have daily obligations and adequately preparing forthem first thing will help set the tone and mood of the day,” he says.
Keep your email replies short and sweet
No one likes tosend long, convoluted emails, and no one likes to receive long, convolutedemails either. So do yourself and the person you are emailing a favor bykeeping your responses short and to the point. Squarespace founder and CEOAnthony Casalena says they should be no more than two sentences. “If ever amessage necessitates a longer response, I’d rather have a conversation inperson or on the phone,” he says.
Be strategic when booking meetings
If you’re about tovisit a different city for a business meeting, use your time as wisely aspossible. Take the opportunity to meet with potential new clients and make morebusiness contacts. Pick a location, and schedule meetings back-to-back to makeit worthwhile. “Your time is valuable,” says Shark Tank star Robert Herjavec.“Be strategic about what you need to accomplish and how to maximize yourcommuting time.”
Organize your thoughts in a single email
Sometimes oneclear email can be more effective than a bunch of one-off meetings. Each week,Airbnb’s VP of product Joe Zadeh sends an email to his team outlining theprojects he’s focused on at work and what’s inspiring him outside of work. “Itnot only forces me to prioritize my week, but the act of writing helps organizemy thoughts clearly,” he says.
Do this quick trick to shrink your anxiety
When feelingoverwhelmed with worry, here’s a tactic that can almost immediately shrink youranxiety. Maggie Johnson, a clinical psychology postdoctoral fellow, says weexperience anxiety when our body’s autonomic stress system kicks in to protectus from threat or harm. This reaction doesn’t only kick in during matters oflife or death, but also in situations such as an investor meeting. Johnson says“catastrophizing,” is the mind’s natural tendency to perceive a situation asfar worse than it really is. First, she tells her clients to imagine theworst-case scenario. Then, she asks them to objectively look at how bad thesituation would be if this worst-case scenario happened. Next time you’re stressed,repeatedly ask yourself, “What’s the worst that can happen?” until youunderstand the root of your anxiety. Much of it is misplaced or exaggerated,she says.
Stop reading and start doing
How much time did you spend reading this
article? Adam Grant thinks you could’ve used your time to learn a new skill
instead. “Work on increasing your typing speed — or invest in voice recognition
software. And then stop wasting time reading productivity tips,” says Grant, a
professor of Psychology at University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
