5 Steps To Making 2011 Your Most Productive & Organized Year Ever

The way you use your diary makes all the difference to the way the year unfolds for you. Many things will be beyond your control, but how you spend your time, to a large extent, will be your choice.

(If you’re now madly assembling a list of excuses reasons why you don’t have control over your own time, then may I ask, with only love in my heart, that you use the energy instead to apply the steps that follow.)

Start thinking of time as your life resource. Learn to use your diary to manage time in ways that bring meaning, fulfilment and happiness to you, and to the people in your life.

Here are 5 steps for using a diary to make 2011 your most productive and organized year ever.

1. Choose goals for the year.

For balance, select goals across a range of life areas – like health & fitness, business & career, personal development, home, money & finance, relationships, family, fun & recreation, and happiness.

Choose up to 20 goals you’d like to achieve over the course of the year. You can revisit the list any time to mark off completed goals, delete goals that are no longer relevant, and add new ones.

2. Set monthly goals

Setting monthly goals will help you focus on your current top goals, think through the steps to achieving them, and allocate necessary actions to specific dates. It’s a great way to keep up your motivation and review your progress, month by month.

At the start of the month, choose up to 5 key goals from your list of goals for the year – 5 is an achievable and motivating number. Next, list the individual tasks you need to complete this month to progress toward each goal. And before leaving this step, allocate each task to a date during the coming month.

Assigning tasks to dates is an important step – it means you’ll be committed when the date rolls around!

3. Focus on your top 3 priorities each day

Keeping your focus on the top 3 tasks each day is a discipline that will help you achieve your goals faster, as well as live a life that reflects your major priorities.

The way to do this is to clearly specify your top 3 tasks to do first each day. Often, these will be tasks you’ve assigned from step 2. List other tasks to do only as time allows. You can mark tasks as done as you complete them, but remember – do your top 3 first!

If you like, you can also record on a daily basis personal notes, thoughts and observations, as well as things to do and reminders – including appointments, emails, calls, etc.

But those top 3 priorities come first!

4. Reward yourself

Maintain a record of your achievements – it’s a great way to celebrate your success and give yourself some well-earned treats.

Start a list of goals you’ve achieved. As you accomplish a new goal, add it to your list. Include a column on your list for rewards. Every so often, fill in the rewards you’ll give yourself. And be sure to periodically take those rewards and celebrate your successes.

5. Start again!

Once you’ve gotten into the swing of setting goals, allocating tasks and achieving success, you’ll want to make it a habit for life.

As you come to the end of the year, start thinking about what the following year will hold for you, and start a new goals list by adding goals for the next year as you think of them. Be sure to choose goals across life areas so your life feels rich and full, just as you did this year.

An easy way to do all these steps

The steps above are all integrated into our brand-new-for-2011 Goals & Priorities Diary. And you can get it as our gift. See this page for details.

And have a wonderful year!