By: Peter Economy

Achieve the most-important goals in your business and in your life faster and better than ever.

Shared: From your friends TechAutoCareers.com® the online resource for the Automotive Sales Consultant

We've all got important things to get done at work, but far too often, at the end of the day, we realize that we haven't accomplished what we set out to do that day. The problem is that for all sorts of different reasons, we end up doing things that don't get us to our goals.

The solution is to focus on the most important things, and then to stay on task. That, of course, is much easier said than done. Here are 11 productivity tricks that will help you stay on task--and accomplish those goals that will move you forward at work and in your career.

1. Edit down your to-do list

If you've got a to-do list with 15 or 20 items on it, chances are you're going to feel overwhelmed and not get any of them done. Edit down your to-do list to the 3 or 5 most-important things you need to do, then focus on just those items until you get them done.

2. Redesign your list

Get away from the usual upper left-hand corner, linear list of to-dos. Instead write each task on a sticky note or page flag. Then place your most pressing task in the center of a piece of paper followed by a circle of other tasks you need to complete.

3. Give yourself less time

You've created your list for the day and now you're sitting there thinking about anything but getting started. Challenge yourself. Give yourself only until noon to accomplish everything on your list.

4. Get rid of the dead weight

If your company is producing a line of products, get rid of those that aren't working or aren't your biggest sellers. Focus your attention on those products that do work and do sell. The same principal extends to your life--quit saying "yes" to everything. Save that yes for things that will actually enhance your life or career.

5. Entrust others

Stop trying to do it all yourself. Delegate work to others and make them responsible for their completion so you can focus on the tasks that are most important to you.

6. Trust yourself

We are human, not machines. If you are feeling unproductive, switch gears and go for a walk or change your setting. Trust yourself and trust that your productivity will return to full-throttle again once you give yourself a little time.

7. Borrow some productivity boosters of the famous

Productivity can go through the roof with some subtle changes or different habits. Try one of these quirky ideas from some of the greats: Maya Angelou was more productive working in a nondescript room as apposed to working in a beautiful setting; Ernest Hemingway was most productive in a standing position; and, Woody Allen would find his productivity through multiple showers a day.

8. Keep experiencing and learning

The more experiences you have and the more you learn, the greater your judgment and creativity when coming up with solutions to a problem. Keep learning and you will have more knowledge and experience to pull from.

9. Get the ball rolling--one minute at a time

If you are producing nothing because you're having trouble focusing (happens to the best of us), set a timer for five minutes. Focus on one task for those five minutes, and you may be surprised when that five minutes turns into an hour or more of productivity. Sometimes you just need to get the ball rolling.

10. Warm things up

Cornell University found that employees made 44 percent more errors and their productivity declined by more than half when the temperature in their office was decreased to 68 degrees. Crank up the heater for more productivity, so you are putting your energy toward being productive and not staying warm.

11. Stop the interruptions

You can turn your productivity way up by getting away from all distractions. When you've absolutely got to focus on a task to get it done, then close your email, ban your social media, turn off those beeps and pings on your smartphone that tell you you've got another message, and get productive. Turning off the interruptions for just an hour can give you a tremendous productivity boost.

What do you think? Is this something you can benefit from or do you have a few tricks up your sleeve that are just as powerful? Make your voice heard by leaving a comment below. Don’t forget to hit the share button if you know others who will find this post useful.

I.C. Collins ~ Author, Educator, Trainer and President: Has One Simple Goal: Improve a Million Automotive Sales Consultants Lives with our ebook "How to Succeed in the Automotive Sales Industry"

I wanted to take a minute and THANK all the people that comment, like, and share my posts daily. I appreciate you all! From your friends TechAutoCareers.com® the online resource for the Automotive Sales Consultant™

Please accept our invitation and feel free to be yourself and get to know our members on TechAutoCareers.com®, Facebook, Google+, and Linkedin.