Boost your productivity.

Doing things as a family means everyone is included and involved--even the little ones. It isn't always easy to take a complex topic like "being more productive" and make it resonate with your preschooler. Here are some tips to get family members of any age engaged and excited to get more done efficiently and effectively.

1. Post Your Progress. Write down the main goal you're all striving toward on a whiteboard. Are you trying to do more family-oriented activities while spending less money? Or perhaps you're trying to get the kids' rooms remodeled without going crazy. Whatever your big task is, write it down on a whiteboard and post it somewhere where all the family members will see it. Make it exciting for your children, like challenging them to meet the goal earlier than expected.

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2. Take 10. After you've set a goal, set aside a brief time per week--10 minutes, for instance--to see if you're achieving your goals. If you have young children, you might think about giving them small rewards for making strides toward your goal. If you have older children or no children, plan family surprises. You know what your family members love to do, so make rewards special and meaningful.

3. Set House Rules. If you're trying to cook dinner a few nights a week to save money, eat more healthfully or find time to reconnect, get your family in on it. Ask that everyone stay home on Tuesdays, for instance, no matter what. Or plan a family hike every Saturday, and don't waiver. If you want to change your ways, the best thing to do is start by turning positive activities into habits.

4. Beat the System. Create systems for things you do often, and make sure to involve the kids. Some ideas include making a master calendar so everyone's activities are on the same agenda; getting your files in order; buying or making storage bins for less-used items, making sure to place some within your kids' reach so they can participate; or planning the week's meals before going to the grocery store. You could also create a phone message system and share it with your kids, teaching them proper etiquette and also ensuring that you get all your messages. Streamlining simple systems will save you large amounts of time in the long run.

5. Know Thyself. Take a one-week analysis to scrutinize how you work best. Are you a morning person? If so, tedious tasks are best done in the morning when you're fully committed. Also, tasks that are very similar--like folding five loads of laundry all at once or doing your entire budget in one sitting--are likely to result in mistakes or burnout. Give your brain a break and perform tasks when you know you'll do them best.

6. Clean Up, Clean Up.

Arrange your work area, playroom, backyard or closets so the most-used items are within reach. Explain the goals to children and get them involved in organizing their spaces so they take ownership. This will help everyone get the most productive start on the day. Show your family it won't take much time if they all pitch in. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

Sources: Sara Caputo, productivity coach, consultant and trainer and founder of Radiant Organizing; Patrick Lencioni, author, founder of The Table Group consulting firm and father of four; David Ballard, assistant executive director, corporate relations and business strategy for the American Psychological Association.