8 Tips on How To Have a More Productive Year

I am all about To Do lists and planners! However, that doesn’t always make me as productive I could be. There has to be some follow-through to be productive. I am going to share 8 tips on how to have a more productive year in whatever area you are working.

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#1 Start Your Day Off Right

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If we start each morning off with the Lord and hand it over to Him, He will direct our steps. The Bible says:

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“Commit your activities to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” Proverbs 16:3

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Each morning get up early enough to begin with:

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• Bible Reading
• Prayer
• Affirmations
• Special Scripture

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If you don’t know a lot about affirmations, they are just quick sentences that you affirm over yourself and your day. I started these last year based on scripture. You can definitely come up with your own as you read the Bible, but these are mine:

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• I can do all things through Christ. (Phil. 4:13)
• This is the day the Lord has made. (Ps. 118:24)
• I am more than a conqueror. (Rom. 8:37)
• God always causes me to triumph. (Ps. 59:10)
• God’s favor is surrounding my family and me like a shield. (Ps. 5:12) – I added the family part.
• Goodness and mercy are following me today. (Ps. 23:6)

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I also read a scripture that motivates me for a more productive day. I have chosen this one for next year:

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“…I Am the Lord Your God Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go.” Isaiah 48:17

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These are a great way to start your productive day. Give it all to Him!

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#2 Planners and Organizers

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I would not want to try to function without my planner! I have found that if it is not written down, it is easy for me to forget.

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I tried for years to find the perfect planner that fit what I needed, but I couldn’t find it. A few years ago, I decided to make my own in a leather 3-Ring notebook and love it! I have tweaked it each year, and this year I am switching to the cutest rose colored 3-ring notebook with a light colored rose paper.

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Here are some of the things I created for my planner/organizer to help me be more productive:

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• Cover page with a picture and my key scripture for the year
• Birthday Spreadsheet (Family & Friends listed)
• Monthly divider tabs
• Monthly cover sheet with a picture/quote and a scripture to go along with it
• Mileage/Tax deductible spreadsheet
• Monthly prayer list
• Monthly menu
• Monthly to do list (These are items that may or may not be done that month, but they are there as a list of things to do at some point.)
• Each week has:
  • Daily appointments (All 7 days on one page)
  • 3 Part To Do Lists – Blog, Personal, & School

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All of these have a scripture at the bottom. The first year I did these, I used a different scripture or quote on each page. That was a lot! I now use one scripture on all of the pages:

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“Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past. See, I Am doing a new thing!” Isaiah 43:18-19

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I have all of these in a digital format, so if any of you are interested in any of the sheets, I can share. I shared some of these in an earlier post. If you want more information, see the post here.

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#3 Enjoy Your Work Area

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Not too long ago, one of the teachers came through our offices giving us all a hard time for having “knick knacks” in our offices. We all laughed about it, but when you think about it, our “knick knacks” make total sense. I am not talking about junking up our offices, but we all have things we like displayed. If you are going to be working in an area, you should enjoy the atmosphere.

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Sometimes productivity looks like a mess until you finish. However, if you can keep your work area somewhat organized and neat, it seems to help your mind stay calmer. I am working on this area! The way it tends to work at school is that I start something and get interrupted a few times with new things that need to be done. The problem is that they get interrupted also and you end up with a mess at the end of the day. School life!

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I do want to share something that has been beyond helpful for me this year. Over the summer I got a pinched nerve in my neck. When I went back to work, I could not work at my desk. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. This is what I came up with to help:

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It actually got worse before it got better. I don’t have pictures of the two monitors sitting up on Amazon boxes, but it looked really junky! I had to do something when we started having new students enroll with their parents, so the school ordered me a standing desk. It has been life-changing! Not only has it helped my neck, I also seem to be more productive. Plus, there is no telling how much more active I became with just this one purchase.

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I liked it so much that I ordered one for my personal home office as well. They are great! They lift up to the level you need them, and you can lower them back to the level of a regular desk. They are also great for hiding stacks of papers.

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There are different options for these standing desks – different sizes, colors, etc. If you are looking for one, this is the link to the one I have at home.

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#4 Squash Distractions

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Distractions will come whether you work at home or away from home! If you have a phone nearby, that will most likely be the culprit. The distraction may be a call, text, email, or an actual person.

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If it is something you can handle later, do your best to ignore it until you get to a stopping point.

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If it is a thought, jot it down so you don’t forget it later.

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If it is a person, think it through. Sometimes we allow the most trivial things to get us off track. However, if a person really needs you, don’t look at it as an interruption but as an opportunity. This can be hard at times, but think about how Christ handled these situations. He was pulled in all sorts of directions, but when someone needed Him, He was there. I think the lesson He showed us is that People are More Important Than Our To Do Lists.

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#5 Take Action for Productivity

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All of the planning in the world will not help you be more productive unless you take action. There are times that I have to carry things over from week to week, but getting to mark something off of the list is so satisfying. It is a motivator in itself.

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If you haven’t read the book, Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy, I highly encourage it. It talks about not only taking action but taking action on the things you really don’t want to do. It is a quick and easy read, and it makes so much sense. If you want to check it out, click this link to see it on Amazon.

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#6 Look Over Your Planner Each Night

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I try to look over my planner each night. Most of the time I look over it the next morning too. Sometimes I write out the top priorities on a sticky note, just to make sure I see it easily once I get busy. This has saved me a few times when I saw an early morning appointment that I had forgotten about on my calendar.

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#7 Use Productive Resources

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There are many sites that can help with all areas of being more productive – planning, organizing, and even taking action. Here is a site that I find very helpful:

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The Krafty Planner

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You can also refer to one of my other posts here – Success Scriptures for the New Year.

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Remember to contact me if you decide you want any of my planner pages. I will need your email address to send them to you.

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#8 Have Grace & Mercy

The last thing is to always give yourself grace and mercy! If you are not as productive one day as you think you should be, start fresh the next day. Do you remember the verse I printed at the bottom of EVERY page of my planner?

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“Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past. See, I Am doing a new thing!” Isaiah 43:18-19

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There is a reason for this! Commit this to memory and start over the next day.

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I hope these 8 tips on how to have a more productive year come in handy for you. I am striving to be more productive and efficient in the new year.

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Have a Grace & Joy-filled day!

Susan

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“When I am filled with cares, Your comfort brings me joy.” Psalms 94:19