By Conor Neill, an EO Spain-Barcelona member and teacher at IESE Business School

I was prompted to write this post as I am finding the post-holiday return to discipline quite challenging. I heard somewhere that it takes 30 days to build a habit, and one day to lose it. Time to get the habits back.

1. Start the day slowly – Ken Blanchard told me how here.

2. Do in sprints – The Pomodoro technique is explained here. (Page 2, Self-Discipline)

3. Say No More – Say “No” to most requests. Often the best way to say “no” doesn’t use the word “no”. More on saying “no” here.

4. Double up on Priorities (throw in the €50) – Life gives you little nudges, but you must choose the sacrifice. More on chosen sacrifice.

5. Create barriers (email, phone, social media) – Jim Collins keeps away from all digital devices before midday. More on Jim Collins 3 tools for productivity here.

6. Remove Waste – Stop doing stuff that is no longer relevant. Close the chapters.

7. Read – You must out-learn the competition.

Incorporate the 14 habits of highly productive people…