Productivity requires discipline, and discipline means you’ve created a habit. If you’ve ever intentionally created a habit, you know it is no easy task. According to U.S. News, about 80 percent of people who create new year resolutions never reach their annual goals. We start off strong, but somehow near March, we’ve become “too busy” to execute our well-intentioned life goals.

Every time I become overwhelmed about all the things on my to-do list, I think of this quote by Henry David Thoreau: “It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?”

If you want to make sure your resolution sticks this year without drowning in busy work, I recommend you add these strategies to your to-do list.

1. Break your goals into bite-size chunks. Having an annual goal is great, but the issue with giving yourself the entire year to reach your goal is that you grant yourself the grace of having a year to do it. Instead of focusing on December, work backward from your annual goal. Be as specific as you can. Determine what you need to do every day, week, and month to reach your goal. Doing this will allow you to track your progress along the way.

2. Celebrate your wins every day. Lack of motivation is the peril of all good intentions. To keep your motivation high, give yourself kudos for the progress you make, no matter how small it is. Any bit of progress towards your goal is productivity. I’ve found that when I focus more on what I did accomplish during the day instead of beating myself up about of what I didn’t, it helps me to end my day on a positive note.

3. Limit your to-do list to 3 items daily. Creating an extensive to-do list can be counterproductive, especially if you’re a procrastinator. You can end up becoming so overwhelmed by all the things on the list, that you do nothing at all. Shrink your list to three must-do items a day. Out of those three things, if you complete at least one, you’ve had a good day. Add the one(s) you don’t complete to the top of tomorrow’s list. If you can do that, consistently then you are on your way to being more productive.

4. Stop blaming time for everything. There is always enough time in the day. Time isn’t the issue, priority is. Set a timer for the things you absolutely need to get done. This is a simple, yet very effective trick I use when I know I can’t afford to slack off or get distracted by all the other things I need to do. I’m a recovering procrastinator, so deadlines work well for me. If I know I’m on a countdown, working against the clock pushes me to devote my full attention to one thing. Oprah never had more than 24-hours in the day. If she can do it, so can you.

5. Hold your “YES” to a higher standard. Whatever you say “yes” to this year, make sure you’ve considered how your commitment will impact your personal goals. A simple yes, (because it’s the nice thing to do) can turn into a nightmare time draining task if you’re not careful. Ask for time to think before you commit. Challenge yourself to see how unexpected requests can impact your annual agenda.

6. When in doubt, pivot. This year don’t allow yourself to get caught up doing things just for the sake of doing them. That’s busy work. You have the right to change your mind. Give yourself the freedom to question your process or adjust your routine when you don’t see progress. Be careful when seeking strategy from others. If you let them, people will try and guilt you into staying on a sinking ship. Don’t let them. If your course of action isn’t producing results, change it. Commitment isn’t just doing the same thing consistently. Commitment is knowing you will reach the desired outcome because of your effective process.