Did you keep it? 

Why do we so desire to make positive changes and fall short of actually taking action? 

Sometimes, we do not know where to start. The key is to start anywhere! If you want to lose 50 pounds, you cannot lose it all at once! Aim for two pounds and then another two. 

Often, we just do not want to do something. This is the reason many resolutions fail. The pain of making a change is greater than the pain of living with the status quo, or the reward is not worth the effort it takes to achieve it. If this is your reason for not taking action, revisit what you really want and reframe your reason. For example, maybe losing 50 pounds for your high school reunion is not enough of a motivator. However, losing 50 pounds to avoid diabetes or a heart attack just might be. 

If you aren’t making the changes you say you want, look at why you want to make them. Try reframing your motivation and see how fast change can happen.

• W-2 forms from employers
• 1099-MISC forms for self-employment income
• 1099-INT forms for interest
• 1099-DIV forms for dividends
• 1099-B forms for brokerage trades in stocks and bonds
• K-1 forms for income from a partnership, small business or trust
• 1099-SSA form showing any Social Security benefits received

Gather documents for any income not reported on an IRS form, such as rental income or alimony, and all canceled checks, receipts or spreadsheets for any tax-related expenses. If you paid federal and/or state estimated taxes, bring canceled checks and a summary of your payments.

It happens every year, so be prepared and be positively productive!

• Sort receipts into categories, such as travel expenses, office supplies, memberships, clients gifts, etc.
• Put everything in large manila envelopes or folders that will hold a variety of different-sized paper documents.
• Update your tax software if you do it yourself.
• Go to irs.gov and your state tax website to review any changes to the tax laws.
• Save electronic records, such as calendars and expense and income logs, on an external drive to keep them safe. In case of an audit, you will need them.
• Set an appointment with your accountant or tax preparer now before they get too busy.
• Remember to file any local and business taxes also due this time of year. These are often lost in the crush to handle federal and state taxes.  

Tax time doesn’t have to be a hassle if you are prepared.

• Is your in-box jammed with emails you have read and taken care of, but have not filed away?
• Are you getting alerts that your “in-box is full,” and no more emails can be delivered?
• Do you wish you could just trash it all and start over? 

Well, you can. Here’s how: 

• Sort all those old, already-read emails cluttering your in-box into two lists—One to-keep list and one to-trash list.
• Trash the ones you don’t need to keep and empty the trash can.
• Set up a folder labeled: 2011 Archive. Move the emails you need to keep into that folder. If you have time later, you can organize them. For now, they are out of your in-box, and you can still access them if you need them. 

What about managing incoming email? Here are some easy tools: 

• Sort and read emails based on your priorities for the day. Emails related to your highest priorities should be handled first.
• After you have responded to an email—
  • File it in a folder you  have labeled for easy retrieval.
  • Trash it if you don’t need it.
  • If you can’t completely handle an email, put it in a pending folder for follow up.
  • Set an intention to empty your in-box daily.

Keep your email under control and have a positively productive day!

• Are there stacks of papers waiting to be filed?
• Is your in-box overflowing?
• Do you have “stuff” everywhere? 

If so, take fifteen minutes right now and tackle one small part. That’s all. Just fifteen minutes.

What if you took fifteen minutes every day? That adds up to 75 minutes a week or 300 minutes a month. Can you get organized in five whole hours a month? Sure, you can!

Set an intention to spend fifteen minutes every day improving your office, so you can be more positively productive in 2012. Make the words of Albert Einstein your motto: “Out of clutter, find simplicity.”

Now is the time when many people set resolutions—knowing that they aren’t likely to be kept. The idea of setting resolutions is almost a joke, so don’t do it. That’s right, skip the resolutions this year. Instead, set an intention.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary at m-w.com, the definition of INTENTION is: “a determination to act in a certain way.”

When you set an intention, you are determined to take action to bring it about. An intention is more motivating than a resolution is, and you are more likely to take it seriously. It requires commitment—determination—to realize it.

Fill in the blank: In 2012, I intend to                                                                                      .

Focus on an intention to improve your strengths in one area. For example, you could set an intention to take a workshop to improve your communication or leadership skills. Whatever your intention, take one action step every day to achieve it.

Try it, and see how much more you can accomplish by setting an intention!

Have a postively productive 2012!

Of course, there are always professional development classes and seminars. Learning a new skill is a great resume-builder. However, if finances are a concern, here are some creative ideas for professional growth without spending a dime.

Find a mentor. Is there someone that you respect and admire professionally? Ask that person if he or she will meet for lunch every other week. Use him/her as a resource for career issues. If you have a goal in mind, ask that person to keep you accountable in working toward your goal.

Go to free networking events. Most cities have Chamber of Commerce or social marketing events. Start attending an event that is within your niche. Before you enter the room or conference center, think about more than just finding new clients. Think about possible alliances and partnerships that may be good for business.

Join a Linked-In group. Just about any profession has a professional group on Linked-In. Joining the group will provide you with a forum for questions as well as relevant information about your field.

Best wishes for a very successful and fullfilling New Year!

A new year means new hope in tackling procrastination. The next time you are tempted to procrastinate, use Newton’s 1^st law of motion: “A body at rest tends to stay at rest and a body in motion tends to stay in motion.”

Follow these steps to test if Newton’s law applies to procrastinating:

1. Break the project into the smallest pieces you think you can handle.
2. Set a time in the next 24 hours to work on the first “piece.”
3. Make sure you complete the piece assigned, but allow yourself to work longer if the work is going smoothly.

Remember, a body in motion has a tendency to stay in motion. If you can get started, you may not be able to stop. Before you know it, you could end up being Positively Productive.

• What do you need to do to close out the year? Make a checklist and as you finish each task, cross it off.
• Review year-end reports and gather the data you need as of now. Is anything missing? Track it down.
• How do you want to develop staff next year? Are there training programs and workshops you want to send people to in first quarter? Take action to make that  happen.
• Do you need to replenish supplies or replace obsolete forms with new ones for 2012?
• Take time to set up 2011 archive files, folders and storage to make getting organized in 2012 faster and easier.

Staying positively productive in 2012 starts now!

• Multi-tasking is ineffective. We have all done it and many of us are tempted to multi-task every day. Instead of trying to squeeze every second out of the day by multi-tasking, schedule time with yourself to focus on important tasks. It will reduce your frustration level and will end up saving you time in the long run.
• Social networking and marketing is here to stay. You don’t need to be a marketing expert to see the explosive growth in online marketing, social networking and the continually changing landscape of how business is done. If your website, Facebook page, LinkedIn network and other online tools are not up to par, make a resolution to get it done in 2012.
• Spending time to organize now will give you more time later. How long will you wait to get your workspace organized or clean out that junk closet at home? If your days are packed with work, errands and to-do lists, you can’t afford not to be organized. Spend some time daily gaining control over your surroundings instead of the other way around.

Take the above lessons with you into 2012 to become Positively Productive!