With a New Year just around the corner, it’s time to reflect on your resolutions and look ahead. If there’s one resolution that most of us seem to make each year, it’s to be more productive. But how do you get started? Business coach and author Jennifer Dawn provides three simple tips below.

Tip #1 – Complete at least one “A” task daily

An “A” task is one that moves the needle forward on your business and life goals – but it can often get procrastinated or put off because it may take us out of our comfort zone. For example, if cash is tight, the “A” task might be making those collection calls or doing a price increase. The “A” task could be NOT skipping your workout, delegating to a team member, or improving a process in the company. These things will make a big difference, but they are easy to put off until later because they don’t always have the biggest sense of urgency. However, when you get into the habit of doing at least one “A” task daily, you can still make forward progress on your goals despite the busiest schedule.

#2 Energy First, Matter Second

To accomplish things each day it’s easy to get into the cycle of doing, doing, doing. If you want things to fall out easier, and faster. Get your energy in alignment FIRST, then start taking action. Set aside just 5-10 minutes a day to visualize how you want the day to go, see yourself getting results, accomplishing your goals, solving problems, and being a productivity rockstar. Then, identify the top 1-3 “A” tasks that will get you closer to the result. Knock those out first, then go about your day as you normally would.

#3 Think Before You Act

Look at your schedule for the day, hour by hour go through everything you are doing, and ask this question “How can I make this hour more productive?”  For example, can you delegate a task and free up that time, or remove yourself from a meeting? If you used the time to train staff, it could get a task off your list for good. Instead of just doing it, be more strategic with your time.