Have you seen that bit of dastardly magic happen in your life? You start the week with three priority-related tasks; by Monday night, you haven’t completed any of the original tasks and, somehow, your to-do list has more than quadrupled. You didn’t sleep the day away. You were actually working. So why isn’t the list shorter?

Enter Elizabeth Grace Saunders.

The 3 Secrets to Effective Time Investment may be the answers to your time-/work-related prayers. As a time management coach, Saunders is the founder and CEO of Real Life E, a time-coaching company that strives to empower their clients through a “schedule makeover” coaching process and various training programs. With a list of clients to back up her claims, Saunders’s method is straightforward and seemingly very helpful.

Throughout her book, Saunders provides “mental shifts” to help readers adjust their thoughts in a direction that will foster productivity, confidence, and positivity. She also includes action steps to move progress forward and journal exercises at the end of each chapter to give the reader the opportunity to meditate on the various crucial points.

Saunders addresses the importance of time investment, goes over the kinds of crippling emotions that stall productivity, and provides a series of mental exercises meant to empower and build confidence in the reader. She provides both “key mental shifts” and “essential actions steps” to combat and overcome emotions that can hold us back. For example, regarding the emotion “overwhelm,” one of the action steps is “allocate time carefully.” In this step, Saunders explains that the reader should not just determine what they need to do but also determine how much time to allot for each to-do item. One of the key mental shifts for “overwhelm” is:

Harmful thought: “I must do whatever it takes to keep up with my environment.”
Helpful thought: “I can choose to modify my environment and my response to my environment so that I feel comfortable with the pace and quantity of what is asked of me.”

This breakdown is helpful, but the so-called secrets alluded to in the title are the real meat of the book. Simply put, the three secrets are:

1) Clarify action-based priorities
2) Set realistic expectations
3) Strengthen simple routines.

These may seem rather straightforward, and there may be a few people who believe that those three lines are enough to give them the tools to implement effective time management. Do not be fooled. Saunders delivers these simple statements and then elaborates on their importance and how to successfully implement them. She also addresses potential roadblocks to the implementation of each step.

Saunders does a great job of looking at routines. She provides a step-by-step guide to developing your own set of simple routines. This section also includes references and notes to available templates on her blog, such as her “Simple Project Plan Template.” She also recommends other sites that can help, such as Harvest (www.getharvest.com), iDoneThis (www.idonethis.com), and Basecamp (www.basecamp.com).

Perhaps it was timing or perhaps it is because I love resources that help me get my life more organized and productive — but regardless of what it was, I absolutely loved The 3 Secrets to Effective Time Investment.  Although I have not yet taken the time to completely implement the book, I did actively participate in the exercises and journaling throughout my read. I am already planning on rereading the book more slowly and starting to implement the steps. I have recommended it to almost everyone I know who could potentially benefit from it — and that is basically everyone I know.

The 3 Secrets to Effective Time Investment
McGraw-Hill, December, 2012
Hardcover, 256 pages
$22.00

Time management skills are like shoes or a good pair of jeans — you may have to try several pair before you find just the right fit. They’re different for each person and you have to find what works best for you. Below are a few that work for me which you may want to borrow.

1. Make a list.The thing about making lists is that you actually have to use them. You may want to set reminders on your phone and computer.Lists really do work if you use them. One of the most important things is to make sure your list feels attainable. No one wants a 30-item to-do list and have to, at the end of the day, look at the 20 items that didn’t get done. Prioritize yours and others’ needs and plan accordingly. You might even want to make three lists — personal, home and work.
2. Set deadlines. Again, there is no point in setting deadlines if you make executive decisions to always push them back. Set a deadline and try your best to stick to it. Set your deadline a few days before the task absolutely has to be done. This allows for the possibility that other things will get in the way, but also allow for you still to get the task done.
3. Stop multi-tasking. Multitaskers often seem to think they get more accomplished, but it’s not always the most productive or efficient route. Let’s face it, our minds work better when we are truly able to focus and concentrate on one thing.
4. Delegate responsibilities. For those of us who like to be in control the very thought of this is likely to provoke a bit of anxiety. The truth of the matter is that no matter how good we are, we can’t do everything. Sometimes we take on more than we can handle. Delegation is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of intelligence. Find competent, reliable people and share some of the responsibilities. It will allow you to be less stressed and more productive.
5. Use your downtime. This tip requires some balance. Using all of your downtime for planning and prioritizing is bad and can lead to increased stress and burnout. However, if you find yourself sitting in early morning traffic, this may be a good time to start prioritizing your day or making plans for dinner. If you’re waiting in the doctor’s office, this may be a good time to write the grocery list. (Just don’t forget it.) If you have opportunities like these make the best of them, but also remember to use them for relaxation as needed.
6. Reward yourself.When you accomplish something, celebrate it! How you celebrate is up to you. My word of advice is to keep whatever you choose to do healthy, make sure it’s something you really enjoy, don’t do it in excess, and don’t let it cause you to get further behind.Time management skills are an essential part of making your day just a little easier. Find what works for you and stick to it.

Why do so many people’s good intentions fall flat? New research on goal-setting gives us some answers. Not surprisingly, all goals are not good ones. Not all goals actually motivate people. And not all goals get us where we really want to go.

If you’ve repeatedly set goals that don’t work for you, you might gain some insight by considering these possibilities:

Is the goal threatening?

Let’s say you want to finally lose the 25 pounds you’ve gained over the last five years. Or maybe you want to finally start a savings account by putting 10 percent of your salary into the bank. Just thinking about the goal makes you anxious. You wonder if you can do it. You don’t really believe you can. You are careful not to tell anyone else about the goal because you don’t want the humiliation of admitting that, yes, you once again failed. A goal that threatens our sense of competence and self-discipline is a goal that is sure to fail.

Does the goal seem too hard?

We’re told we are supposed to “aim high;” that goals by definition are something we haven’t yet achieved and need to work toward. But it’s one thing to try to stretch our limits. It’s another thing to set ourselves up to snap them. Goals that are helpful are goals that people see as a reasonable challenge, not as a setup for failure. Maybe it’s more realistic, for example, to set the goal of losing 5 pounds in the next month by making healthier choices instead of shooting for losing all your extra weight. Maybe it’s more realistic to put a few dollars a day in a piggy bank for a few weeks before you make that auto-deposit in your savings account. Once you feel even a little successful, you are more likely to re-up for doing more.

Is the goal going to limit your thinking?

Sometimes people become so single-minded in pursuit of a goal, they lose sight of what they really set out to accomplish. Yes, you can lose that 25 pounds by going on a fad diet and exercising for two hours a day. In a couple of months you will have done it. But – and this is an important but – you aren’t really healthier. You haven’t changed your lifestyle. You have set yourself up to regain the weight as soon as you start eating normally and spending less time on the stationary bike.

Is the goal really your own?

If the goal is a response to other people’s harassment or even their well-meaning attempts to motivate you to do something for your own good, chances are you won’t stick to it. To be helpful, a goal has to reflect personal commitment, not the desire to get someone off your back.

Is the goal only aimed at the result?

Researchers have found that “learning goals” are more successful than concrete achievement goals. People who are focused on achievement tend to give up when they aren’t making the results they wanted. People who are focused on process tend to stick with it. Getting back to our weight loss example: People who focus on eating healthier are more likely to stick with it than people who deprive themselves in order to reach a specific weight. Interestingly, people who focus on process tend to do better at reaching the achievement goal (in this case, weight loss) even though they weren’t set on doing so.

Does success depend on external rewards?

Some families pay their kids for every A. For some kids, it seems to provide extra motivation to learn. Sadly, for other kids, the goal becomes the pay rather than the education. By cramming before exams they get the grade — and the bucks — but they don’t remember much after the tests. Even sadder, they don’t delight in learning for its own sake.

Does the goal conflict with a less obvious but more important goal?

To get back to our saving money example: Yes, it’s a good thing to save and it’s very satisfying to see the amount saved be bigger on each monthly bank statement. But if finances are tight, it may not be easy or even advisable. Paying all the bills and paying them on time to maintain a good credit score may be more important than putting money into a low-interest savings account.

Does your happiness depend on reaching goals? Goals are seductive. It can feel great to set a goal and reach it. It can make you feel effective and happy.

But the truth is that goals are not life. Often, life takes us down paths we don’t expect and can’t control. Often life throws opportunities for growth at us that derail us entirely from our stated goals. Sometimes it’s important to push those things aside and keep on going toward the target. But often enough, it’s more important to find happiness where life takes us.

Our challenge (do I dare say “goal”?) is to live our lives in a way that lets us set our sights on measurable outcomes yet readjust when life presents us with something more important, more possible, or more satisfying.

Online opportunities for learning and for earning college degrees have become pervasive in the last 10 years. Most two- and four-year colleges now offer online options. For-profit colleges that exist solely online now offer both undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Consortiums such as Coursera, a tech company that partners with universities worldwide, offer non-degree oriented, free classes for people who simply want to learn new things. This is a sea change in education.

And yet… Only 50 percent of students who register for online classes succeed. (This is compared to an average of 70 percent of students in traditional campus classes.) It’s not because those who fail aren’t smart. It’s not because they don’t have good intentions. Research has identified factors that have more to do with a student’s psychology than intelligence. My own experience as a teacher of online classes leads me to the same conclusion.

If you are considering taking online courses and want to be in the 50 percent who make it through (and with good grades), here are at least some of the variables that make a difference:

Be realistic about what you are taking on.

There seems to be a myth among at least some students that online classes are easier than campus classes. Generally they aren’t. You are signing on to wrestle with new material, to master new skills, or to increase your own knowledge base. A good online class will be as challenging as any course you’ve taken in a brick building.

Be realistic about your reality.

Most online students are adults with adult lives. That means families, jobs, and complicated schedules. Be sure you really have the time and energy to put eight to 10 hours a week into reading, researching and responding. Often the students who have had to drop my class have found it overwhelming to fit class work into already over-stressed lives. One man who did very well for the first few weeks found to his dismay that he had underestimated the effect of a new baby in the house. The needs of the baby and his need for sleep overwhelmed his ability to focus on the class.

Whatever your good intentions and optimism, there are only so many hours in a day and you only have so much energy. Before writing the check to take a class, be sure you can fit it into your schedule.

Be realistic about your own motivation and maturity.

Online learning requires that you “show up” and show up regularly. Often you will be responsible for making submissions that other students need in order to keep a discussion going. Since there is no set time to participate in class, it’s easy to let a day or two or four go by because of other obligations. That’s a setup for failure.

More than a few of my students have fallen by the wayside due to major issues with procrastination. If you procrastinate and get behind, it becomes harder and harder to get caught up. If you are irresponsible about doing your share of group work or getting assignments done on time, you risk alienating your classmates and annoying your teacher, who doesn’t have the time or the responsibility to chase you.

Be realistic about your time management skills.

Succeeding online means logging in every day or at least 5 days a week. It means doing the reading so you can do the assessments and assignments. It means taking the time to participate in the class discussions. Students in my classes who succeed treat the online course very much like a part-time job. They set aside regular, predictable time to do the work. They keep a calendar to make sure they meet deadlines and immediately do makeup work if they had to be “absent” for a day.

Be realistic about your willingness to engage with others.

Ironically, your professor and classmates will get to know you online at least as well, and often better, than if you were sitting together in class. Campus students can be virtually invisible by not volunteering in class. Online learning requires that you be out there, visible and engaged. Success comes to those who post regularly, who show that they have thought hard about the readings, and who contribute novel and interesting ideas to discussions.

Success also comes from encouraging others, from asking good questions, and from being willing to be challenged. When people engage in discussions without attacking others and without being defensive about their own contributions, discussions can be very rich and meaningful. One of my classes only requires three posts a week. The students who do best in terms of mastering the material are often showing up 10 – 12 times, sometimes with just a word or two of encouragement for a classmate, sometimes with a new insight into the material, sometimes with an anecdote from their own life that highlights something we’re talking about. These are the students who breathe life into the class. Often they are also the students who truly master the course.

Be realistic about your skill with words.

For now, at least, online learning generally requires communicating well in writing. “Discussions” are all by posts. Group work is through written chats within the class. Your words represent you. Poor grammar, spelling mistakes, rambling prose, or confusing paragraphs will get in the way of success, no matter how good your ideas may be. Teachers and peers don’t have the energy and patience to decipher your meaning. If you aren’t confident about your ability to communicate well in writing, it would be wise to get a tutor to help you hone your skills before tackling a course online. Another option is to first take an online course in expository writing.

Be realistic about your skill on a computer.

If you aren’t a reasonably competent typist, if you don’t know your way around Word or have difficulty learning how to navigate a platform, you’ll quickly become frustrated with the whole enterprise. Frustrated people tend to get anxious and annoyed. Often they fall behind and then get so discouraged they drop out. And please: Don’t do as one of my students did and ask your mother to do your typing. He often lost points because she didn’t have time to be his typist when he had deadlines. More to the point, it made me question who was really writing the responses.

It’s a new world. I fully expect that the boundaries between campus and online learning will continue to blur as an inevitable outcome of technological advances. The best online students are those who find it exciting to be on the cutting edge of change and who engage in class with curiosity and enthusiasm. As for me, I thoroughly enjoy getting to know my online students and watching them stretch and grow through their interactions with the materials and with the class.

Most of us recognize these as some of the symptoms of ADD or Attention Deficit Disorder. (OMG – maybe we all have ADD.)

But these struggles are not the exclusive domain of ADD. Difficulty getting things done and falling prey to distraction, a wandering mind and temptation is a reality for most of us at times. And, of course, it’s all compounded by the constant lure of digital distractions.

With ADD, however, overcoming these obstacles is not simply a matter of choice, Here, lack of capacity can trump the best intentions to use willpower and self-discipline to stay on track, Further, ADD deficits often cause longstanding effects on career and relationships, leading to underachievement, and a chronic sense of frustration, shame, and failure.

ADD is a neurobiological syndrome beginning in childhood that is chronic, pervasive, and hard-wired, with a strong genetic component (Barkley, 2010, Hallowell, 2005). Research indicates that about four percent of adults in the U.S. have ADD (Hallowell, 2005). ADD symptoms also include forgetfulness, impulsivity and difficulties with organization, time management, staying on task, and shifting attention — being able to unglue oneself from a task or knowing when to stop (Barkley, 2010).

ADD symptoms are essentially executive function deficits, interfering with the ability to follow through on conscious intentions and sustain future- or goal-directed activity. Researchers have called ADD a condition of “nearsightedness” (Barkley, 2006, p. 56) with regard to time. ADD creates a blind spot for the future, often leading to short-sighted decisions and procrastination (Barkley, 2006).

Seventy-five percent of people with ADD have at least one other co-existing condition, usually anxiety, depression, or substance abuse. Although medicine helps 80 percent of people with ADD, lack of response or worsening of symptoms may occur when untreated co-existing conditions are mistakenly attributed to ADD (Hallowell, 2005).

For example: Jenny held a high-status academic position. In her struggle with ADD, she was most affected by distractability and procrastination, often surfing the web for interesting political news instead of doing her work.

Jenny was raised by a very critical father who shamed her when she didn’t meet his expectations, or when she asked a question he thought was stupid. Although ADD was an aspect of Jenny’s problem, even with structure and medication, it did not remit until she addressed the psychological issues driving her avoidance.

Jenny internalized the perfectionism imposed on her by her dad, along with a sense of inadequacy, shame, and fear of disapproval. She was easily triggered into a flood of anxiety around her work, fearing she’d be exposed as an imposter. This led to cycles of inertia, shame and further avoidance. When Jenny could recognize and change the inner critical voice in her head modeled after her dad, she lowered the stakes she set for her performance, and could make use of strategies to treat her ADD.

Structural and biochemical differences in ADD brains limit the capacity to regulate oneself, or have self-control. It makes it difficult to initiate, persevere, or stop behavior so that actions are in line with one’s future goals, rather than immediate impulses. Further, depletion of dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in the experience of pleasure and reward, creates difficulty sustaining a feeling of vitality, contributing to a pull toward behaviors that provide stimulation or an adrenaline rush.

Some researchers have found that the secret to harnessing the energy of the ADD mind is finding a naturally compelling creative outlet where focus comes easily. Successful adaptation involves compensation for deficits, for example, by finding environments compatible with the strengths of the ADD brain. Such environments are often fast-paced, intellectually or physically stimulating, or structured, perhaps with regular deadlines paced at short intervals.

Work that requires intense energy, here-and-now attention, independent thinking, imagination and tenacity may also capitalize on ADD assets. Most important, educating ourselves and our loved ones about ADD is essential to prevent needless judgment, shaming, and self-blame that are common with this condition. Then, instead, we will be in a position to harness the unique, inspired energy of the ADD mind.

References

Barkley, R.A. (2010). Taking charge of adult ADHD (1st ed.). New York, NY:The Guilford Press.

Barkley, R.A. & K. R. Murphy (2006). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A clinical workbook (3rd ed.). New York: Guilford Publications.

Hallowell, E.M. (2005) Delivered from distraction. New York: Ballantine Bks, Random House Publishing Group.

18 Minutes is divided into four parts. Part 1, called “Pause,” focuses on pulling back, evaluating and gaining an accurate perspective of your life—rather than plugging along doing meaningless things. While this section doesn’t necessarily present any new insights, it does underscore the importance of stopping, taking a breath and figuring out what you truly want.

Part 2, “What Is This Year About?,” helps readers come up with their top five priorities for the year. Bregman outlines four ways to determine your priorities:

• Leverage your strengths
• Embrace your weaknesses
• Assert your differences
• Ppursue your passions

This is an excellent section that provides various thought-provoking points and questions that readers can ask themselves. It helps readers figure out what matters most to them. Bregman also features many interesting insights. For instance, on embracing your weaknesses, he writes:

“The most interesting novels,” Newsweek editor Malcolm Jones wrote in a recent book review, “are the ones where the flaws and virtues can’t be pulled apart.”

That’s even truer for people. The most powerful ones don’t conquer their dysfunctions, quirks and potentially embarrassing insecurities. They seamlessly integrate them to make an impact in the world.

In Part 3, “What Is This Day About?,” readers learn how to distill their annual goals into a daily to-do list along with helpful hints on handling the tasks. The goal is to spend 95 percent on activities that you love and find fulfilling and the other 5 percent on miscellaneous, such as paying bills or changing the oil in your car. In other words, you create your task list based on your annual goals and make sure that the bulk consists of meaningful activities.

One of Bregman’s helpful hints is creating an “ignore list,” which is a fantastic idea. It includes the things that get in your way and aren’t important to you. (For many of us that includes mindless Internet surfing or TV watching.) Another is to set your phone to ring every hour. Bregman uses this to evaluate how he’s spending his time. Even more importantly, he asks himself a key question at every chime. He writes:

…When it goes off, I take that deep breath and ask myself, if in the last hour, I’ve been the person I want to be. In other words, during that pause, I deliberately recommit to not just what I’m going to do, but also who I’m going to be over the next hour. It’s a way of staying recognizable to myself and to others.

Here, Bregman also offers an explanation for the 18 Minutes in the title. He suggests that readers simply carve out 18 minutes each day to stay focused on their priorities. Specifically, the 18 minutes are made up of three steps.

In step 1, readers spend five minutes in the morning before turning on their computer to plan their day (“What can you realistically accomplish that will further your focus for the year and allow you to leave at the end of the day feeling that you’ve been productive and successful?”)

Step 2 takes just one minute every hour to help you refocus on and recommit to your day. During this minute, you ask yourself whether you’ve been productive and been the person you want to be.

The last step involves taking five minutes every evening and evaluating how the day went, such as asking yourself: “What did I learn about myself?”

Part 4, “What Is This Moment About?,” covers mastering distraction by mastering your initiative, boundaries and yourself. Bregman teaches readers how to use distractions to their advantage, overcome perfectionism and determine when you should say yes or no to someone.

In the conclusion, called “Now What?,” Bregman urges readers to do just one thing. Instead of getting overwhelmed and overcomplicating your life, just take the step that’s most meaningful to you. This is wise and valuable advice. (On a side note, one of the examples Bregman uses is losing weight. He says that weight loss is simply a matter of eating less, which is a common misconception. Plus, in our society, we’re inundated enough with weight talk as it is.)

In addition to the book’s smart advice, another strength lies in its simplicity. You won’t find any convoluted organizational systems or tools here. It doesn’t overwhelm you with tons of tips and to-dos. Rather, Bregman’s book helps readers ask themselves the important questions, learn helpful tidbits on productivity and really see their life more clearly. It’s written in a straightforward, conversational style and shares relatable anecdotes, many of which come from Bregman’s personal life.

Another strength is that 18 Minutes is very motivating and encouraging. It gives readers the nudge they might need to figure out what a fulfilling life looks like, along with, again, a simple and straightforward plan to follow through. Overall, this book will no doubt become an important tool for readers in accomplishing their goals and enjoying the day-to-day process.

(By the way, we’ve already talked with many successful entrepreneurs, who’ve shared their productivity pointers here and here.)

Productivity Strategies for Success

1. They’re clear about their priorities.

“I think the most important element is that I have a very clear sense of what is most important for me to accomplish at any given time,” said Peter Bregman, a consultant and Harvard Business Review’s most popular online columnist. He begins each year by identifying five priorities. He then uses these top goals to create a nontraditional to-do list, which he calls a “six-box to-do list.”

He explained: “Each one of my five areas of focus gets a box in my to-do list. The sixth box is labeled ‘the other five percent’—that’s where I put everything I think I need to do that doesn’t fit into my top five—and I keep that box very small.”

2. They’re strategic.

Bregman, who’s also author of 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done, knows how to use his time. He recommended readers be strategic “about the highest and best use of their time and make discreet, specific decisions about how you are going to spend each hour.” If you don’t make deliberate decisions about your day, “it’s almost impossible not to let distractions carry you away,” he said.

3. They begin the day with enjoyable activities.

Professional life and career coach Kristin Taliaferro believes that starting the day off on your own terms is key to productivity. “If you begin your day checking email, for example, you’re at the mercy of everyone else’s agenda and that can absolutely shape your day and cause you to be unproductive with your goals,” she said.

Instead, she recommended readers engage in enjoyable activities (like walking or reading spiritual texts) and “wait until you feel grounded and clear about your agenda for the day.”

4. They don’t multitask.

Multitasking creates the illusion of productivity. “It’s very easy to multitask and jump from one thing to another without completing anything—that leaves us busy all day but unaccomplished,” Bregman said. He makes it a rule to “finish one thing before going to the next.”

Bregman and other entrepreneurs prefer to work in blocks. He typically begins his workday by writing for several hours. Then, he gives himself 30 minutes to respond to email. (He takes these email breaks throughout the day, which he said works better than responding to email as it comes in.)

Taliaferro, who also believes multitasking is rarely effective, tries to schedule back-to-back phone appointments in the mornings and later focuses on writing projects or responding to email.

Brittni Melhoff, founder of papernstitch.com, a curated exhibition site for artists and makers to showcase their work, and editor of the papernstitch blog, suggested readers try the pomodoro technique. “It will help you manage your time by breaking your day down into 25-minute intervals, so you can focus on just one task at a time,” she said.

5. They batch tasks weekly.

Melhoff schedules “different reoccurring tasks for different parts of the week,” such as writing blog posts on Mondays and marketing and client work on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. “I find it really helps to keep my mind focused on one topic for the day, whenever I can, so that I don’t drive myself crazy with every tiny little thing each day,” she said.

Similarly, Taliaferro sometimes “set[s] aside an entire day [to wrap up] ‘loose ends’” for her business.

6. They keep their energy up.

Taliaferro always takes at least one break “in the middle of the day to refresh my mind.” As she explained, “Productivity has a lot to do with how you feel. If you remain energized, you can work smarter and get more done.”

She also makes sure to eat healthfully, exercise, get enough sleep and engage in other self-care activities. “This helps me feel strong and centered when I’m actually working,” she said.

Productivity Strategies

1. They single-task.

Multitasking can crush concentration and even creativity. That’s why blogger and author Caitlin Boyle prefers to single-task. “Now I realize that it’s a much better use of my time to focus on one thing at a time and finish it,” said Boyle, who blogs at HealthyTippingPoint.com and OperationBeautiful.com and wrote the book Operation Beautiful: Transforming the Way You See Yourself One Post-It Note at a Time. “For example, I don’t try to keep up with emails while writing — I just write, and then I go through emails.”

2. They focus on what they’re great at.

Many of us think that in order to be successful we have to do everything. We must be able to work through a project from start to finish on our own, along with tackling all the other responsibilities that pop up. But a smarter strategy is to identify your strengths, and delegate everything else.

“[I figure out] what I can give to someone else, so I can concentrate on the stuff that only I can do,” said Michael Bungay Stanier, author, coach and founder and senior partner of Box of Crayons, which helps organizations do Great Work.

3. They manage their energy levels.

You can have all the time in the world, but if your energy levels are low, you probably won’t get much accomplished. Stanier said that boosting his energy levels also boosts his productivity. He referred to Tony Schwartz’s work on performance and energy.

According to Schwartz on his website, “Time is finite, but energy — the capacity to do work — can be expanded and regularly renewed. The better we meet our energy needs, the more value we’re capable of creating.” In his most recent book, Schwartz lists various ways readers can lift their energy levels.

4. They accomplish one important task each day.

No matter how erratic his days, Stanier spends several minutes “at the start of each day figuring out what the most critical thing is I want to accomplish.” He makes sure to follow through on this one goal. Similarly, he encouraged readers to think about their one thing. He said:

I like the idea of picking a ‘Great Work Project’ — the one thing you’re really going to focus your time and energy on to make a difference and get excited by. What’s the thing you want to boast about when someone asks, “What are you up to?”

5. They know their time-wasters and avoid them.

“The web is a huge time suck for me,” said Linda Formichelli, a wellness coach, personal trainer and freelance health writer. She recognized the websites that regularly pilfered her productivity, and blocked them.

She also uses a program called Freedom, which turns off your Internet connection for as long as you need. This prevents you from mindlessly cruising online at the expense of your work.

6. They start early.

Formichelli prefers to get up at 6 a.m. because she’s super productive during the quiet hours of the morning. By 10:30, she’s already answered email, developed workouts for clients, written interview questions, enjoyed a run, showered, studied for her wellness coaching certification course and had breakfast with her family! Waking up early also means that she’s able to stop working at 5:30 and spend the rest of the evening with her husband and son.

7. They take care of themselves.

Being a harried entrepreneur isn’t just harmful to your health, it’s also unproductive. No one can work round the clock, especially when they’re continually stressed. Self-care is productive.

Formichelli makes time to exercise regularly, take baths and meditate — all vital activities that keep her “at an even keel.” This is especially “important since, as someone with an anxiety disorder, I’m easily stressed and overwhelmed,” she said. Boyle, who works from 9 a.m. to 7 or 8 p.m. usually “take[s] an hour and a half or so for lunch and a workout.”

Overcoming Productivity Pitfalls

Entrepreneurs have to contend with many challenges. Below are just a few of these obstacles along with insight on overcoming them.

Unruly e-mail. “My habit is to check all day long and to answer e-mails as they come in (and I get a LOT), which really scatters my attention and makes it hard to get anything done,” Formichelli said. Recently, she’s started answering email twice a day, which has actually cut down on her correspondence. “I answer e-mails when I get up until 8, and then later in the afternoon. I find that when I do that, I actually get less e-mail because I’m not creating a back-and-forth with people all day long,” she said.

She also noticed that many of her emails were just social media alerts. (You know the kind: This person is now following you or that person just retweeted your tweet.) As Formichelli said, “That’s where the boundaries come in. I don’t want to be rude to people, but I need to make my own agenda and my own family the priority.”

Shiny Object Syndrome. Whenever anyone starts a project, they get wholeheartedly excited. But completing it can become another story. “I like starting things, and I’m less good at finishing them,” Stanier said, who calls this the “Shiny Object Syndrome.” “So I do what I can to self-manage around that, including checking in with my business partner about what I’ve got on my plate.”

Overscheduling. Overscheduling is “a huge challenge and a big stress” for Formichelli. For instance, her goal is to complete 50 practice wellness coaching sessions by the end of October. Formichelli’s fix? To do the best she can with her sessions, and use this as a lesson in creating a better schedule in the future.

Time management. Boyle finds it especially tough to manage her time effectively. “Either I spend too much time on a task or get easily distracted by Facebook and Twitter.” So she uses Online Stopwatch “to set time goals for myself. When the buzzer goes off, I move to something else.”

Knowing how others are able to stay so productive can be eye-opening and instructive. And experimenting with a variety of strategies helps. Just remember that the real key to productivity and success is what works for you.

Here, five successful entrepreneurs, who do everything from designing jewelry to writing to coaching other entrepreneurs, share how they accomplish amazing things every day.

Productivity Strategies

1. They don’t give themselves a choice.

According to Alisa Bowman, author of Project: Happily Ever After, a memoir about saving her marriage, and creator of a website by the same name, “I don’t give myself any other choice [but to work].” Alisa is the main breadwinner in her family, spending her workdays co-writing books, penning magazine pieces, writing for her blog or column and giving interviews. “If I don’t write, our mortgage doesn’t get paid.”

Also a breadwinner, business coach and blogger Tara Gentile believes that “we’re more likely to innovate when we simply don’t have a choice to do otherwise.”

2. They take breaks.

“Rest is an important part of productivity,” said Sally McGraw, author of the daily style and body image blog Already Pretty. “If you go and go and go until you burn out, you’ve hampered your ability to make any progress on your goals.”

Bowman takes a break every time she’s completed a task. It might be short, like going to the bathroom or grabbing a cup of tea, or long, like walking the dog or taking a nap. Breaks help Bowman “mentally put the task I just completed to bed and to warm my brain up to what’s next on my list.”

3. They use organizational tools to stay on track.

Jeanette Thwing, author of the blog J’s Everyday Fashion, uses a calendar to manage her projects and pencils in free time and vacations “to keep myself recharged.”

Gentile, who’s also author of the digital guide The Art of Earning: Because Making Money Should Be Beautiful, uses her calendar “to plot out goals and ‘in progress’ tasks.”

On a side note, when setting deadlines, Gentile purposely leaves herself less time. “I always offer up deadlines that seem just a little crazy to keep me from being tentative about the work I want to accomplish.”

4. They batch similar tasks.

Thwing, also a freelance writer and stylist, devotes one day to running errands and attending meetings and another day to taking photos for her blog.

McGraw also focuses her attention on a set of similar tasks: blog posts, business correspondence and then email. “By doing a single task for a stretch of time, I feel more focused.”

5. They delegate.

Jess Constable, the designer and founder of Jess LC and author of the blog Makeunder My Life (MML), credits a lot of her productivity to having extra help. “I have an assistant who makes the Jess LC jewelry orders and two interns who swap days working as managers for Jess LC.”

Gentile also delegates everything she can. She has a “virtual business manager that takes care of scheduling, correspondence and administrative tasks, so that I can concentrate on what I’m good at.” In fact, Gentile said that “most of my stress and just about all of the flubs in my business come from me doing things I’m not skilled at even if they seem straightforward.”

6. They work long hours.

McGraw gets asked all the time how she does it all. And her answer is simple: “I just never stop working.” She gets to her day job by 7:30 a.m. During breaks, she “squeeze[s] in writing and commenting on blogs, answering correspondence and other business tasks.” She leaves the office at 4:30 p.m. and breaks for dinner. After 6 p.m., she usually works two to five hours on her blog. (While she tries to keep her weekends relatively work-free, she still puts in at least three hours of writing.)

Thwing works 10 hours a day, six days a week, writing articles, answering emails and attending meetings. She breaks for dinner and exercise, “but then it’s right back to the computer for me!”

To many people this might sound grueling and overwhelming. But it depends on your style. McGraw described herself as an “inertia worker.” If she has too little to do, she doesn’t do anything, she said. “But when I’ve got loads of balls in the air, I’m energized and productive and happy…I love feeling busy, planning my next moves, knowing that I’m working toward a worthy end goal.”

7. They make time for what’s important.

Several of these entrepreneurs also juggle motherhood. But they make it work. For instance, during the workday, Gentile makes sure to check in with her toddler, Lola. (As her daughter gets older, Gentile does find it harder to get back to work because Lola misses her.) At around 4:30 p.m., Gentile wraps up work and makes dinner. She spends the rest of the evening with Lola until it’s her bedtime.

Or maybe you’ve been able to be a stay-at-home parent for a few years but the recession is making that option more and more challenging. Or perhaps the Web-based business you started didn’t take off as you’d hoped. Or maybe you retired a few years ago but find that the money runs out before the month does.

Whatever the reason, getting back to work is a job in itself. It can be a daunting process. Before you start searching the Web or the classifieds in your local newspaper, you may have some personal work to do. People who do well in the job hunt (and in life) are those who honestly confront the challenging realities that go with the process.

• Personal assessment: or rather, reassessment. It’s only natural to go overboard one way or another. Studies show that people often see themselves as more competent, qualified, and gifted. (Even psychotherapists are guilty of this one, with one study showing that over 60 percent see themselves as above average — a statistical impossibility.) Equally damaging to a job search is the opposite –- underestimating your skills or downplaying their importance. We are not all residents of Lake Woebegone where “all the children are above average.” Nor are we losers when we’ve been out of the workforce for awhile. The challenge is to honestly acknowledge both our strengths and our weaknesses.

  What to do: Be as balanced as you can in making a list of what you have to offer. You think you’ve only been raising children the last six years? Give yourself more credit than that. If you’ve been running the PTO or organizing the annual school book sale, you have marketable skills. Laid off? Yes, the economy may be to blame. You may have fallen victim to office politics or new policies may have been unfair. But it may also be that your reluctance to learn new skill sets or your attitude had something to do with it. Those are things you can change. If you don’t trust that you see yourself clearly when you look into the mirror, ask people you trust what they see as your strengths and weaknesses. Then play to your strengths. Make sure those are the skills and attributes you put on the top of the resume and at the beginning of the interview.

• Be willing to consider jobs that are a “step down:” If you were at the top of your career or had gone as far as you could go in your prior company, you may feel that anything less is, well, less. Not necessarily. Consider the stress that goes with being in a position of authority. Consider the isolation. Consider the impact it has on family relationships. Maybe the higher income and status come with a higher price.

  What to do: Willingness to take a step down can be framed as a personal choice, but only if you mean it. Human resources personnel can sense when a prospective hire is desperate, not honestly rethinking values. If, on the other hand, you do thrive on the stress of top positions, think about going the part-time route for awhile. Offer an employer the option of hiring your level of experience on a part-time basis. Many would jump at the chance. Or think about approaching smaller companies that usually can’t afford someone at your level. Approach them with your willingness to work for less for a year or two in order to get back on a career track, with a raise contingent on what you can produce. Are you seen as old for the job? Talk about the option of hiring you on to mentor a younger up-and-comer. Anything that keeps the hole in your resume from growing is a positive step.

• Make sure you have the education and skills: If the average second-grader can negotiate the Internet better than you can or if you are still typing 10 words a minute, you are going to be out of the running for many jobs. The days of secretarial pools that type and file are long over. Further, if the job you really want requires another degree, certification, or evidence that you’ve kept up with the field, go for it.

  What to do: If you’ve been a holdout on learning computer skills, get over it. Technology is here to stay. Many communities have leisure programs that offer training in computer skills. If you have a teenager in the neighborhood, ask for a tutorial in how to write documents and run a spreadsheet and how to get on social networking sites.

  Many community colleges are responding to peoples’ need to upgrade their professional skills through their continuing education department. Talk to your unemployment office about whether you can maintain your benefits while getting more education and training. No? Then volunteer at a place where you can learn new skills or find an Internet site or software that will bring you up to speed.

• Prepare for rejection: This may be the hardest obstacle to enthusiasm for a job search. Applying for employment is a guaranteed exercise in handling rejection. It’s likely that there will be many candidates for any vacant position. Only one person will get the job. Even if you are one of the top two finalists, only one will get an offer.

  What to do: Accept that rejection is part of the process. Take each rejection seriously as a potential opportunity to learn what gaps in your skills or presentation you need to fill. Don’t take rejection personally. It’s not. Companies are looking for someone who “fits.” We can’t be all things to all people.

But, according to Laura Vanderkam in her book 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think, the idea of some time crunch is a myth. (In fact, her first chapter is entitled “The Myth of the Time Crunch.”) We actually don’t work as many hours as we think and we do have many pockets of time. And, most importantly, all of us have the same 168 hours a week.

She presents convincing statistics to back up these assertions along with examples of very busy people who find time to do the things they love on a regular basis. And these examples are compelling. For instance, she opens the book with a woman who spends some of her weekday mornings hiking for hours, sleeps at least seven hours a night, coaches soccer, excels as the owner of a seven-figure revenue company and is mom to six kids!

The takeaway? As the book title declares, “You can choose how to spend your 168 hours, and you have more time than you think.”

The book is broken up into three parts: Your 168 Hours, At Work and At Home. In each section, Vanderkam offers practical tips to make time for activities that you love. First, she helps readers figure out how they’re actually spending their week by recording their time in a spreadsheet. Next, she helps them better understand what it is they want out of life with an exercise called the “List of 100 Dreams.” (She suggests kids create one, too, which is a fantastic idea.) She underscores the importance of focusing your days on core competencies or the activities that you do well and minimizing, ignoring or outsourcing everything else.

Vanderkam devotes an entire chapter to having the right job, because she believes that it’s key for time management, productivity and a joyful 168 hours. She writes:

“If you love what you do, you’ll have more energy for the rest of your life, too. If you’re trying to build a career while raising a young family, you will have more energy for your children if you work 50 hours a week in a job you love than if you work 30 in a job you hate.”

She features anecdotes of people who not only are doing what they love, but have overcome obstacles and worked hard to get there. She also talks about how to reach a career breakthrough and lists thoughtful career-related questions for readers to ask themselves.

In the section on home, she provides helpful tips on outsourcing housework. For many people housework isn’t just time-consuming but it also suck precious time from more important activities like being with family, exercising or enjoying other more meaningful activities. As one mom told Vanderkam: “I don’t want to spend less time with my children…I want to spend less time doing housework.” So many of us shudder at the thought of someone else doing our laundry or cleaning our house. The main reason is that we think it’s pricey. But as Vanderkam writes, “The only reason we consider household outsourcing expensive is that we, as a society, largely expect women to do these things for free.” She also explores how housework has changed throughout the years, and again, offers useful insight into saving time at home.

Such advice and anecdotes feel liberating and empowering. But throughout the book, I did keep wondering how we muster up the energy for all these activities day in and day out. For instance, I do have the time to work on my very neglected personal blog, but after I’ve been writing all day, the last thing I want to do is brainstorm clever ideas and form complete sentences. Instead, the first thing I want to do is veg out in front of the TV and not think.

Similar to that, I felt overwhelmed at times, particularly at the thought that we need to schedule essentially every part of our day. For instance, according to Vanderkam:

“While waiting for items to heat up in the microwave, I am now in the habit of dropping to the floor and holding a plank pose or doing push-ups instead of flipping through the Pottery Barn catalogue…You can pray while waiting for the elevator, or write in your journal while waiting to pick up your kids from school.”

This implies that we can’t just be. Instead we have to cram activities into every nook and cranny of our schedule. Vanderkam’s point about fitting in activities you enjoy into small bits of time is a wise one. But it’s important to also remember that doing simply nothing, just catching your breath, savoring the silence or taking in the scenery in the time it takes popcorn to pop or your kids to come to the car is perfectly OK, too.

Overall, though, 168 Hours makes you think differently about your time. It empowers you to consider what you really want to be doing. So often we feel like we’re shackled to our to-do lists and time is running us—and running out. But we do have a choice. And this book gives readers not only lots of food for thought but also many valuable and practical ways to incorporate meaningful activities into your life. It’s filled with interesting statistics and tidbits and inspiring anecdotes. Vanderkam writes in a conversational and engaging style, which also makes for a great read.

But you might want to lower your expectations. Outside the pages of interior design and furniture publications, most houses are not clutter-free, spotless sanctuaries. In fact, perfectionism and its close cousin procrastination are both obstacles in getting organized. (Procrastination is best defined as becoming too overwhelmed to start or finish a project because we can’t achieve perfection.)

Other obstacles, according to professional organizer Debbie Jordan Kravitz, are uncooperative family members, lack of time or resources, undefined goals and confusion about where to start.

Luckily, “organization is a learned skill,” according to Jordan Kravitz. She says that “many times the disorganization is the result of never being taught the concrete skills of how to get organized.”

Below, Jordan Kravitz, who owns and operates Virtually Organized by Debbie, shares how readers can acquire and sharpen their organizing skills, and prevail over procrastination.

De-cluttering Tips

1. Be fussy.

Clutter swells when we acquire more stuff. So “be picky about what you keep,” Jordan Kravitz says. “You need to know what you are keeping it for, and where you will keep it.” She adds that the common reason “just in case” doesn’t count.

2. Go paperless.

Paper is a major source of clutter. To cut your catalog consumption, Jordan Kravitz suggests visiting the website Catalog Choice to remove your address from any publications you don’t want to receive.

Also, pass on print publications. Consider signing up for a magazine’s electronic subscription. Want to save a particular article? She says you can bookmark it or use social bookmarking sites like Delicious.

Opt to receive your bank statements and bills by email. Worried that you’ll forget to pay your bills? Receive an email and a print bill “for the next few months and then gradually fade out the paper version once you make the email reminder part of your bill-paying routine.”

3. Record your time monsters.

How often have you thought that you simply don’t have the time to organize your office or another area in your house? Jordan Kravitz calls anything that sucks up our time a “time monster.” She suggests writing down how long you spend doing daily activities. Once you identify your time monsters, you can deal with them.

4. Work with your habits, not against them.

When we try to get organized, we don’t take into account our daily habits. For example, we might create elaborate organizing systems that we just can’t keep up with. “Many times the reason that organizing attempts fail is that when we try to change our habits we simply meet too much resistance, either from ourselves or from the people we are trying to organize.”

For starters, “Observe how your house looks on a daily basis.” Think about where you put down certain items such as your keys, purse or backpack and the best piece of furniture to organize it.

Working with your habits can lead to a consistently organized space. Take, for example, a family who always tosses their shoes, coats and bags on the couch or the floor when they get home. You might suggest that “each family member take their things to their rooms when they come home and hang their coats in the closet and line up their shoes on a shelf,” Jordan Kravitz says.

Realistically, though, even if it lasts a while, your family will probably return to their routine of dumping and tossing, she says. The fix? “Instead, don’t fight their habits, but give them a designated spot to dump their shoes.” She suggests color-coded bins: “Choose a different color for each member of the family and make sure the bin is not too big, and thus a bottomless pit.”

In general, “Don’t fight what you can’t fix,” she says.

Three productivity experts share the specifics on shrinking your to-do list and also making time for what you want to do. Some of these are tried and true, while others might surprise you.

1. “Don’t live in your email inbox,” says Laura Stack, MBA, president of the consulting company The Productivity Pro.

If you let it, email can become a black hole, sucking up your time and distracting you from important projects. “Turn off your email alerts,” Stack says. And designate a time in the day that you’ll check email.

2. Take inventory of your time-wasters.

Ask yourself, “What behaviors or tasks am I choosing that truly waste time?” For instance, Stack says that common time-wasting behaviors include “excessive social media interaction, socializing with co-workers, random web surfing, personal business [and] reading blogs.”

3. “Create systems and rituals around what you do the most,” Caputo says.

For instance, many people can easily spend 10 minutes or more hunting down their keys, so create a place to put them so you always know where they are. Caputo suggests doing the same with the mail.

Another tremendously helpful system is creating a meal plan for the week. As Caputo says, “It gets posted on the refrigerator and now there is no more thinking about what we are going to have for dinner — and we eat healthier because of it!”

4. Organize a bit every day.

Organizing a major pileup, whether it’s papers, clothes or shoes, can take a huge chunk out of your day. It interferes with the time spent on critical projects. Doing daily touchups can help.

Caputo notes the importance of returning items to their “home” each day. She suggests spending about 10 minutes maintaining order.

5. Get a second brain.

According to Caputo, “you are much more likely to accomplish the tasks that need to get done if they are in front of you — written down — than if you don’t have a plan.” She calls her to-do list “my second brain.” This actually creates free time because you’re more likely to complete tasks when you have a plan, she says.

6. Say no.

Experts emphasize the importance of being fiercely protective about your time by being selective with what you’re doing and saying no. You want to create “strong boundaries around your priorities,” Caputo says.

7. Choose the top tasks for your day.

Specifically, “Pick the top three to five things that have to happen in your day and focus on getting those done no matter what,” Caputo says.

8. Figure out how long it takes to complete tasks.

“Most people highly underestimate how long things actually take and where their time is actually going,” Caputo says. Track the time it takes you to accomplish each task. This helps you create a realistic to-do list and carve out the time for important tasks.

9. Budget your time.

Knowing how much time you have to work with is important in whittling down your to-do list and getting the things you really want done. It’s a matter of simple math.

Here’s Stack’s easy equation to help you budget your time:

• “Determine how many hours you’re going to work from start to finish.
• Subtract meetings and travel time.
• Subtract the average amount of time you get interruptions as part of your job (client calls, co-worker drop-ins).
• Make a list of important tasks and estimate how long each will take.
• Add up the remaining time available and add up the estimated time to complete your tasks.
• Compare these two.”

You’ll probably have more tasks than time, she says. So “pick the most important item on your list to complete (not what you feel like doing).”

10. “Get very clear on your mission,” says productivity coach and author Hillary Rettig.

Rettig helps clients “live lives of consciousness and design.” She says that the people who tend to “get most stuck are those caught between conflicting identities or value systems.” For instance, she says, a person might want to embark on an ambitious goal, such as writing a novel or starting a business, but doesn’t make the time in their schedule for their project.

11. Remember that you’re in charge.

Don’t let activities and to-do lists run you. As Caputo says, “Once people realize that they have the power and ability to affect their day based on their choices and decisions minute to minute, then they are able to get the right things done to feel balanced and on purpose!”

12. You might have to make hard decisions.

Rettig says, “There are things—and people—that we value that we will probably have to spend less time on, or give up entirely.” She adds that, “…it’s hard — but to not do it is a kind of abdication, and over the long term will lead to a life of under-productivity and bitterness.”

But productivity isn’t about being a workhorse, keeping busy or burning the midnight oil. It’s also not about chasing after elusive goals. It’s more about priorities, planning and fiercely protecting your time.

Three productivity experts dish on the details on what makes some people so productive. (Hint: They’re not innate qualities but instead skills and habits that you can acquire with hard work and effort).

1. They know what’s important.

Like Sara Caputo, MA, productivity coach, consultant and trainer at Radiant Organizing, says, “everything can’t be important.” Highly productive people are able to distinguish between important tasks and trivial ones.

They don’t get bogged down with busy work. In other words, “Productivity is about getting the right things done,” she says.

How do you know what’s important? Caputo says that it’s “all about setting time aside on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis to strategize about [your] goals and values.”

2. They plan their day.

According to Caputo, planning your day the night before helps you “hit the ground running rather than take precious time and figure out where to start.”

3. They’re able to get back on track faster.

If productive people are interrupted or “things don’t go as planned,” “they quickly make decisions to get them back on track or to keep them on track to get those things done that are aligned to what’s most important,” Caputo says.

4. They know their priorities, and protect them.

For one, highly productive people are clear on their direction, says Laura Stack, MBA, president of the consulting company The Productivity Pro® and author of The Six Keys to Perform at Your Productive Best.

Again, they don’t just get things done, they get the right things done, as Caputo says. Stack adds that “value determines priority; priority determines goals; and goals determine activities.”

They also delegate. They don’t spend time on tasks that someone else can do. Instead they focus on “where their energy is best spent,” Caputo says.

Likewise, they know how to “say no, and maintain healthy boundaries,” says Hillary Rettig, productivity coach and author of the forthcoming book The Seven Secrets of the Prolific: The Definitive Guide to Overcoming Procrastination, Perfectionism and Writer’s Block. As Stack says, productive “people control their schedules, so they can make time for important activities. They know they can’t be available to everyone every day.”

Saying no, establishing boundaries and delegating are all “nonnegotiable success skills that can be learned and practiced,” Rettig says.

5. They problem-solve.

“Highly productive people respond to barriers, problems and challenges with much more of a problem-solving orientation,” Rettig says. On the other hand, people who are unproductive try to shame and blame themselves into productivity, which only causes more paralysis, she says.

They engage in an inner defeatist dialogue. Rettig gives the following example: “”What’s wrong with you? This is easy! Anyone can do it? Why are you so lazy? And with all the money you just spent on classes! What a loser!”

A better strategy, which productive people use, is to observe what’s happening and find a solution: “Oh, I’m underproductive. That’s interesting. Let’s see what’s going on and how I can fix it.”

6. They arm themselves with the right tools.

Sometimes, we might wait until we’ve truly made it or reached a certain goal until we invest in a better computer, a nicer website, a business coach or (insert any other item or service you’ve been waiting to buy or action you’ve been waiting to take). Productive people surround themselves with the right resources and workspace, Rettig says.

She says that you should “resource yourself abundantly now so as to maximize your productivity and odds of success going forward.”

7. They have laser-like focus.

Productive people are able to concentrate on the task at hand and tune out distractions, Stack says. Like productivity, finding focus isn’t a natural ability. It’s a skill anyone can cultivate. (Here’s 12 ways you can find and foster focus.)

8. They’re well organized.

High productive people “have systems in place to find what they want when they want it, and can quickly locate the information needed to support their activities,” Stacks says.

When you’re disorganized, that extra time spent looking for a phone number, email address or a certain file forces “you to relinquish your focus. Once it’s gone, it takes a while to get it back — and that’s where the real time is wasted,” Stack writes in her e-book, SuperCompetent: The Six Ways to Perform at Your Productive Best. (You can download a free PDF copy here).

9. They’re disciplined.

Stack says that highly productive people are able to eliminate time-wasters, take personal responsibility and “strive for constant improvement.” As she writes in her e-book, “It’s about consistently hitting goals, meeting deadlines, fulfilling promises and committing to teamwork.” In a word, it’s about being “accountable.”

10. They keep learning.

If highly productive people don’t know the answer, they work to find it. They “get the requisite skills and training when they lack ability,” Stack says, and “They have the motivation, drive and can-do positivity to make things happen.”

But while we understand your skepticism, these 10 ideas help you figure out why resolutions often are unsuccessful. If you know that, then you can figure how to make them successful instead.

And I’ll give you a hint — failure has nothing to do with willpower or lack of effort. It has to do with things that you can likely and readily change in how you approach resolutions.

1. Set intentions, not “musts.”. Resolutions tend to come with a “should” or a “have to,” and “we rebel against these kinds of directives,” according to Nona Jordan, a coach who’s known as the “business yogini” and helps female entrepreneurs improve their business. Instead, she thinks of resolutions as intentions. “An intention is an aim — a direction in which we are moving. There is no set point or date by which to achieve.”

2. Connect with your “why.” Ask yourself, “Why do you want what you want?” Jordan said. Again, if your answer includes a “should” or a “have to,” scrap the goal. “When we have an intention that is a deep desire and we can identify and stay connected to that WHY, it makes for meaningful and achievable resolutions that create happiness in our lives and the lives of those around us.“
3. Get out of your own way. Just setting an intention isn’t enough if deep down you don’t think you can accomplish it in the first place, according to John Duffy, Ph.D, clinical psychologist and author of The Available Parent: Radical Optimism in Raising Teens and Tweens. He said, “Perhaps the biggest misconception is that a good intention can overcome lifelong habits of thought and behavior.”

   Duffy’s “favorite writer, Wayne Dyer, suggests in The Power of Intention that positive change comes not from pushing through with determination and perseverance, but rather through getting out of your own way.” This means “clearing up any negative thought patterns we carry about ourselves, or our capacity for change,” Duffy said.

   So how can you get out of your own way?

   First, according to Duffy, it’s important to understand how negative thoughts “drive our beliefs and behaviors.” To do this, keep a journal of both your negative and positive thoughts throughout the day along with the behavior that followed. “We typically find that positive, internal ‘self-talk’ drives positive behavior, and that the opposite is true for negative self-talk,” he said.

   Then, replace negative thoughts with positive ones. Negative thoughts are rarely accurate and only serve to sabotage us. Duffy helps his clients either to embrace positive thoughts or to “fake it ‘til they make it,” as he puts it.

   He also suggested Dyer’s Excuses Begone! to help readers with changing their thoughts. If you’re still struggling, consider seeing a cognitive-behavioral therapist or life coach, Duffy said.

4. Think of a theme. Every year Jordan creates a theme, or “a one- or two-word mantra that supports me in moving towards being more of the person I want to be.” She writes the theme down and puts it in a visible place — especially helpful during challenging times.

   For 2010, Jordan’s theme was “Lean In,” which she discussed in a recent blog post. This signified “leaning into the good, the uncomfortable, and the scary. Revealing and being more authentically who I am meant to be in the world.”

5. Set goals that are in line with your values. A “strong resolution with a solid chance for success bridges that gap between values and action,” according to Duffy. So first identify your core values, he said. (If you need help, you can find tools online.) Take your top five and use them to create a personal mission statement. Then set your New Year’s goals based on that statement.

   An example: “To participate in enjoyable physical activities three times weekly in order to feel strong, boost my mood and improve my overall sense of health and wellbeing.”

6. Ditch deprivation. People tend to approach New Year’s resolutions from a place of deprivation, restriction and punishment. The quintessential example is wanting to lose weight. People turn to diets or difficult-to-maintain intense exercise — both of which are the antithesis of lasting habits. (Plus, diets don’t work, and here, here and here is why.)

   “If we want to feel healthier, maybe we’ll start moving our body in ways that feel good to us and paying attention to what foods make us feel energized and healthy,” Jordan said. This way, “we aren’t in deprivation and discipline mode, but our energy and action can align with our intention in a positive, supportive way,” she added.

   Remember that your goals shouldn’t be “trying and uncomfortable, but exactly the way you want this part of your life to look and feel like,” Duffy said.

7. Check in with yourself. Jordan has her clients set weekly intentions, which they assess at the end of each week. “Very compassionately look at what went wrong and celebrate successes. From that place of clarity, you can set intentions for the coming week,” she said. Don’t think you have the time? As Jordan said, we spend more hours planning a vacation than we do planning our actions.
8. Chop up each goal. Big goals are overwhelming, so sit down and consider the “ridiculously easy mini-steps” that you can take, Jordan said. Make sure they’re “reasonable and attainable,” Duffy said.
9. Pitch perfection. Too-high expectations paralyze people, ensuring that you’re too overwhelmed to start or maintain your goals. Jordan teaches her clients that we’re all “perfect in our imperfection.” She explained that, “In yoga, and in many other philosophical traditions, the belief is that we are innately perfect and our job is to ‘come home’ to that. Therefore, setting goals and taking action in that direction is about returning to and merging with our natural state of wholeness.”

   To help you in overcoming perfectionistic tendencies, check out our articles on 10 steps to conquer perfectionism and five additional perfection-busting pointers.

10. Create a goal-friendly environment. A common hurdle in accomplishing our goals is creating the settings and circumstances that cultivate them, according to Duffy, who also explained that “a resolution that results in real change requires a shift in priorities.” In other words, if you want to write the great American novel, make time in your day to write. Buy the supplies you need. Seek a quiet spot in your house. Get a babysitter for the allotted time so you’re better able to concentrate on creating.

New Year’s goals get a bad rap mostly because we set restrictive resolutions that don’t honor our values or ourselves. We set resolutions hastily, minutes before the ball drops, without considering what we truly want. This year, let the above tips help you create nourishing, positive and lasting goals.