Imagine closing each workday with a satisfied sigh, knowing that you had been so productive that you accomplished everything you wanted to get done that day. And knowing, too, that you were at the top of your creative game getting your tasks done both efficiently and well. See yourself walking away from work whistling.

Yes! You can be the star in this movie about productivity, rather than the alternate version where you hit the end of the day slumped behind a desk stacked with unfinished projects, so tired you can barely drag yourself away. If you don’t like the way your usual work day goes, change it.

Most of us aren’t as productive as we would like for two reasons: We have bad habits that interfere with our workplace productivity, and were reactive rather than proactive and spend much of our workday responding to and trying to put out…