Tonight, before you go to bed, think about your list of “to-do” items (yes, that ever-growing list with no end *shakes fist*). When you think about that list, think of 3 important things you can do tomorrow. Those 3 important things should be something that obviously matters, where you can say to yourself: “If I get these 3 things done today, I can feel good about my day – like I really got something done that matters.” Pick 3 things. They don’t have to be monstrous projects. But a step toward completing a project that you can be proud about is great, right? Absolutely it is.

The “magic trick” to make this productivity tip work?: FIERCELY PROTECT YOUR TIME. Carve out that “white space” in your calendar and let nothing distract you in that space – save a real emergency. Not a phone call. Not a text. Don’t look at social media. Don’t get lost on the web. Don’t even look at your email yet. If you’re lucky enough to have an office door / private space – use it. Literally block all things out to get Task #1 of the day done – however long that takes. Hopefully it’s something you can accomplish in an hour or two at the most. Reconnect with the real world (allow yourself a certain amount of time to reconnect – like 30 minutes or 45), then start it again with Task #2. If you can knock out two important tasks in the morning, you have the entire afternoon to get your 3rd task done.

We’re now in Week 7 of the New Year, so we have 45 weeks left to go. If you do 3 things every work day (5 days a week) for the rest of the year, so we have 45 weeks left to go. You have a chance to do 675 important things between now and then if you were to try out this productivity rule. TRY IT!! I am. Either way, do something that matters and let’s start saying NO to more things so we can say YES to those things that actually do matter.