Efficiency and productivity are a culmination of many things, including time management, streamlining processes, communicating, prioritizing, and organizing, that all come together just to get THE THING done.  Now THE THING is anything really, from a multi-faceted project you’ve been working on for 6 months, to the mountain of laundry that’s been piling up in the corner for far too long.  It doesn’t matter what THE THING is, what matters is how you’re going to conquer it.

There are loads of books, infographics, articles, and even podcasts that are aimed at teaching people how to squeeze out every last drop of productivity.  It all comes back to having a method and a system. So what method and system works? That's different for everyone, so the key is to find out what works best for you.

I am new to married life.  My husband and I embarked on this whole relationship journey a couple of years ago, made it official with jewelry this past December, and are settling in to our new normal.  As an avid observer of the world around me, I have noticed several things when it comes to how we each go about accomplishing a task.  Husband is ready to tackle THE THING right away and figures it out as he goes.  I, on the other hand, have a more reserved approach.  I need to make a couple dozen lists and run a few internet searches before dipping my toe into THE THING.  Different approaches can work better than others, and oftentimes, it takes some trial and error to figure that out.

Whether you’re the type of person who thrives with the latest apps & digital gadgets, or a good old pen & paper to-do list maker, there are tools out there for almost everyone.  PC Magazine even put together a list of The Best Productivity Apps for 2019 (https://www.pcmag.com/article/362432/the-best-productivity-apps) that recommends specific apps depending on what you’re specifically working towards getting accomplished.  If you need help with workflow, organization, or collaboration, there’s an app for that and something for almost everyone out there.  If you’re the type of person who gets that feeling of satisfaction from physically checking things off a list, an actual paper planner you can write in and carry around may work best for you.  In the spirit of efficiency, NY Magazine put together a list of The Best Planners for 2019, According to Productivity Experts and Stationary Lovers (http://nymag.com/strategist/article/best-planners-according-to-productivity-experts.html) already.  Beyond those suggestions, there are millions of layouts, sizes, colors, and formats for planners out there.  It just depends on what works best for you. Throw in some multi-colored pens and highlighters, and you have yourself a system right there. 

While there are so many different ways of getting THE THING done, the most important thing to do is to just start.  Once you do, the momentum gets going and you end up where I have finally found myself- I did THE THING!  I wrote a blog article for my first time.