Dec 31, 2016 11:39 AM EST By Audri Taylors, UniversityHerald Reporter

Now that another year is about to start, you might already be thinking about the things you'd like to do differently, things you want to change and things you want to improve in your life. There's just so many things to do and it's hard to get them all done. Here are some tips to help you make your 2017 your most productive year yet.

Stick to your schedule

The best way to start the year right is to be punctual and staying in your schedule, that's according to MakeUseOf. In order to help you with that, calendar with reminders can come in handy. This way, you will not miss out anything on your tasks as scheduled, and you will also feel compelled to finish what you have on your plate because you are constantly getting reminded. Once you get to develop this habit, everything will just come in easy.

Set realistic goals

When you do something, your goal will keep you in track. It's hard to work on something without having any purpose at all. Write down these goals in a calendar, and make sure you have both short term and long term goals.

Connect something you love doing with something that you need to accomplish

This advice was shared by Dan Ariely, a professor of psychology and behavioral economics at Duke and author of "Payoff" to Business Insider, where he explained that you can incorporate one of your favorite rituals with a task so enjoy doing both things at the same time.

Learn how to prioritize

Make a to-do list every day and prioritize the tasks that you need to finish right away. Remember, urgent is different from important. All of the tasks on your list are important but not all of them are that urgent, so make sure you know how to differentiate the two.

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