A few months ago, I started backing in to the driveway at home. It’s something simple that has completely changed my outlook for each day. Instead of starting each day going backward, I drive straight out of the driveway and go. I just go.

It’s not much of a habit change, and it took some reminding at first, but the feeling of just going first thing in the morning has been wonderfully uplifting for me. With that switch in mind, I took the holiday break to find another way to set myself up for success by starting with a clean slate to put me in a mood to create and get things done.

I spent that week in between Christmas and New Year cleaning up and cleaning out our spare room. Last year I had bought a desk for the room, with plans to use it as an office, but while I put the desk in, I didn’t take the junk out.

It was workable – ish, but it wasn’t an inspiring place to be. So this break , I did something about it.

It starts with a clean slate. All that is on my desk is a lamp and my laptop. That’s it. Spare drives and wires are by the wall, contracts are sorted in a bin, all that is in my office are things that set me up for success and won’t distract me.

If you want to get things done, you have to give yourself the environment to get things done. Science backs it up too, using high will power moments to set yourself up for success during low will power moments makes a difference.

Here are some of the things I have in my office to help.

I got a turntable for Christmas. I hooked it in to some speakers I have had lying around useless for the past 5 years and now I have a throwback area to listen to the records I have been moving for the past few decades.

Rediscovering vinyl has been wonderful. Listening to records means you’re forced to take a break every 20 or 25 minutes to flip the disc or put on another one. It lets you breathe, walk, take pause in the midst of a creative surge.

I have a comfortable chair for reading with a warm blanket and a heater for my feet (it is the basement after all). I want to read more, but I have a tendency to fall asleep if I try to read in bed. This set up makes it much easier for me to get through books.

And it also helps me power down before bed.  The blue light that emanates from smart phones, computers, and tablets can actually activate the brain and make it more difficult to fall asleep. Sleep is crucial for success, so I’m swapping my swiping for page turning.  It is a simple choice helps me feel much more refreshed in the mornings, and ready to get things done.

Now that I have the environment that is set for success, it needs to be combined with successful habits. Simple, little changes, like backing in to the driveway, and organizing a room, that will steer me in the right direction.

Having a healthy body is key to being successful. If you don’t feel great, you won’t have the mindset to get things done.

Once daily vitamins are a simple way to give your whole family’s nutrition a boost. One-A-Day® can help kick-start your healthy year by providing vitamins to help maintain good health.

Get your kids into a daily routine too with FLINTSTONES™ to help provide the nutritional support they need when they may not be getting all their dietary needs from food alone.

My son has been asking to do yoga again. You’ll recall Charlie’s awesome Yoga for Ninjas video from a few years back. He loves doing some poses, so he gets up a few minutes earlier and joins me in the basement for just a simple 5 minute meditation and sun salutation.

Choosing to take this time for us sets up our day wonderfully. We are spending quiet time together and putting ourselves in a place to succeed; studies show that meditating can actually help the brain process information faster.

And as the kids head back to school, so comes the dreaded cold for dad. Amazing, isn’t it? That as soon as they go back, the germs come home? I want to keep on track, so hydraSense helps get rid of nasal congestion so I can breathe better and feel better to keep my exercise routine in check.

With all the exercise, comes a plan to eat better too. As that change happens RestoraLAX® offers effective relief of occasional constipation, without bloating, cramping, or gas. Maintaining a well-balanced high fibre diet and keeping well hydrated can also help to promote regularity.

That’s how I’ve set myself up to achieve my goals in 2017. From backing into the driveway to setting up a better workspace to looking after my body and building a better mindset, I’m starting with a clean slate. How are you going to get things done?

This post is sponsored by Bayer. To make sure these products are right for you, always read and follow the label.