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"15 Habits That Will Totally Transform Your Productivity 1/16 From decluttering your desk to letting yourself complain, these 15 easy behavior changes can change how much you accomplish each day. BY STEPHANIE VOZZA6 MINUTE READ Editor's Note: This article is one of the top 10 Leadership stories of 2015. See the full list here. People who manage to get a lot accomplished each day aren't superhuman; they've just mastered a few simple habits. Some may be easy to guess: Keep your desk organized and aim for around eight hours of sleep a night. But others, like taking a mid-day nap or complaining, might surprise you. Here are 15 easy ways to make every day more productive: 1. DECLUTTER YOUR DESK. MESSY WORK SPACE: Creativity may arise from chaos, but a litter-strewn office probably isn't helping you get stuff done. "Attention is programmed to pick up what's novel," says Josh Davis, director of research at the NeuroLeadership Institute and author of Two Awesome Hours. Visible files remind you of unfinished tasks. An unread book is temptation for procrastination. Even if you don't think you're noticing the disorder, it hurts your ability to focus. TIDY WORKSPACE: People with neat offices are more persistent and less frustrated and weary, according to a recent study in Harvard Business Review, which found that a clean desk helps you stick with a task more than one and a half times longer. "While it can be comforting to relax in your mess, a disorganized environment can be a real obstacle," says Grace Chae, a professor at Fox School of Business at Temple University and coauthor of the study. 2. BE PART OF THE 20%. No matter how crazy your days get, make sure you carve out and ruthlessly protect just 90 minutes-20% of an eight-hour day-for the most important tasks. "Even if you squander the remaining 80% of the day, you can still make great progress if you have spent 90 minutes on your goals or priorities," says Charlotte, North Carol

"It is amazing how much you can accomplish in a short time when you are focused and uninterrupted. In just 20 minutes, I was able to write an entire page of my thesis or review a whole journal article - tasks that would have taken me an hour or longer before. Even if you have the luxury of long stretches of time, I encourage you to try "writing sprints" of 10-30 minutes each. Focus on putting your ideas on paper, and do not worry about making mistakes. Some students find it helpful to do their writing sprints first thing in the morning, before they get interrupted or need to start putting out fires. Make sure your phone and email are turned off, so you can put your attention fully on writing for just 10-30 minutes."

Establishing a routine is the most effective way to build discipline and keep yourself motivated.

"President-elect Donald Trump pledged to step away from his family-owned international real estate development, property management and licensing business before taking office Jan. 20. With less than two weeks until his inauguration, he hasn't stepped very far."

Recommended by a Walden faculty member

"EdTech Magazine profiles four ways campuses are introducing virtual reality as a tool to expand the academic enterprise. "

"Drawp for School is the award-winning K-12 workflow management platform with built-in design tools, swipe-to-share collaboration, standards-aligned content and unlimited cloud storage. Students use Drawp creativity tools to add drawings, voice recordings, text and photos to assignments. Teachers use Drawp to create, distribute, collect and give written or verbal feedback on assignments. A new Drawp Resource Marketplace website provides teachers with an easy-to-access repository of educational resources to download and share."

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