World of Work: Five ways to reclaim your time in 2016

Sometimes very small shifts in how you use your time can make the difference between feeling focused at work and feeling like you are pulling yourself through the day in a fog of exhaustion. Here are ways you can make the most of your time in 2016.

1 Define what success feels like for you For some it is important to have the ability to prepare for projects at work or activities at home. To another, success may be feeling like they can pick up and leave on the weekend to go skiing or hiking. Others simply wish to have the ability to stop and pay attention when someone asks him a question.

2 Be honest about what truly needs to happen to make life work These "must do" activities should then find a place on your calendar to get done.

3 Underschedule your calendar As a general rule, you'll end up with your best experience of time if you have four hours or less of meetings per day, or group your meetings together on certain days so that you have one or more meeting-free days.

4 Decline activities and tasks that are not aligned Many people feel pressured to accept new tasks or projects just because they see the open space on their calendar. But remember that when someone asks you to do something that would take away from time you've set aside, you need to give yourself permission to decline if that activity is not aligned with your goals.

5Savour the beauty of the everyday The key to happiness may have nothing to do with fitting something more in your schedule – and may have everything to do with stopping to enjoy what is already there. Even a few minutes of relishing something that you usually rush through can reduce depression. – Copyright Harvard Business Review 2015