Productivity is apparently the next topic after resolutions for the first weeks of the new year.  Here are suggestions I gleaned from the blogs I follow and newsletters I receive:

Kim Avery in her Working Strategically newsletter writes about “making time for a Productivity Tune-up.”  In essence she challenges the reader to assess where you are today and then figure out what is not working.  She recommends this be an appointment you make with yourself and that a few times a year you make the time to take stock.  Her recommendations include:

• Keeping track of the commitments you make to yourself;
• Learning and practicing how to say no;
• Taking care of your health;
• Using first thing in the morning to plan your day;
• Using a system to stay organized and consistently use it.

In the blog Dumb Little Man, Leo Babauta writes a post titled “Hack Your Work: 23 Ways to Get Ahead, Work Less and Achieve More”. These are three of the “ways” he suggests that I might try:

• One goal. To remain focused, set one goal to accomplish in 2010 and then break your goal setting down into smaller goals that help achieve the year goal.  Focus does lead to higher productivity.
• MITs or Most Important Tasks. Daily create a list with a minimum number of tasks which are your MITs for the day.  At least one of them should support your One Goal. Then get to work.  The earlier you start the more likely you will complete your MITs.
• Email once a day. Just once a day read your email and empty your in box.  Save yourself from the moment to moment distractions by turning your email off at all other times.  If it’s really important the person will call you.

Many of  Babauta’s suggestions are easily implementable…you just need to commit to stick with them.  Do read the post.

In his January 9th newsletter, Factor 21, Bob Kustka of Fusion Factor talks about how to be more productive by employing five factors:

• Decide, when to do it.
• Do it, and get it off your desk.
• Designate, if you can’t do it right away figure out when you will or
• Delegate, to someone else.
• Dump or Delete it, to eliminate clutter. In many cases you can get another copy of a document if necessary.

He tells us that “when practiced consistently, the 5 D’s will simplify your life, make you more productive, and give you more time…”.  Sign-up for Bob’s newsletter to read more about productivity.

What productivity tips and methodologies work for you?