Put your goals in writing: Reflect on your goals both personal and professional. Write down the game plan otherwise a goal is just a dream if you don’t put it in writing. Be sure to make goals SMART (Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic & Time bound)
Exercise your body. DAILY: Every day I hear people say, “I don’t have time to work out.” My experience has been that the time spent working out is actually an investment in my productivity later that day. I increase my energy reserves” my focus improve my mood and create positive momentum in all I do by INVESTING the time in exercising.
RE-Connect: Re-connect with someone you fell out of touch with. Either by phone” handwritten note email or go knock on their door. Could be a former co-worker boss client or maybe a personal friend or family member. It will remind them you do value them and will help re-expand your network.
Exercise your mind. DAILY. Whether it is personal, professional, or spiritual development you need to invest in yourself by reading daily. (Questions to be answered internally?.Name the last book you read? Now answer how long ago that was.) If you are answering in anything greater than hours consume some vitamins for your mind by reading daily even if it is only half a chapter. It is a habit and putting positive messages in your mind will improve your point of view.
Lifelong Learning: Commit to developing a new skill, whether it is professional in nature (MBA courses) personal (skydiving) or both (golf or social media training). In this economy if you are standing still you’re moving backwards. Doing this is both the ultimate comfort zone stretcher and resume builder. Think you don’t have enough time the internet allows you to study virtually anything at virtually any hour from your home. Don?t believe me? Choose the most far out concept you can and Google it.
Apply a coat of Finish: Finish something; you can not underestimate the psychological impact of tying up loose ends. Complete a project you have been postponing or procrastinating on. It is a mental health triple play: satisfying, liberating and energizing.
Have a plan, work your plan have a backup plan: Map out a game plan to better prepare for this week this month this quarter. A group calendar checklists and quantifiable progress charts displayed in a highly visible location will help your team move the ball closer to the end zone so to speak.
Give Back: While exercise is good for fueling your body, giving back to the community and believing in the greater good nourishes your soul. What fuels your passion in life outside the office? Find meaningful community service. Serving on the board of a non-profit cause you are passionate about or helping to correct a social injustice will add a dimension of meaning to your life which may have been previously absent.
Practice Daily Gratitude: We often get so caught up in the pressures and responsibilities of daily life that we forget one of the most simple and important acts we can engage in as humans?..giving thanks. Whether it is verbally or in writing thank someone who has made an impact on your life” your family your company or your community on a daily basis.
Recharge your batteries: We are more like our technology than we care to admit. Much like our cell phones become sluggish because they have too many apps running, our personal batteries become drained from the multitude of tasks we both perform and have running through our hard drives. By taking the time to rest and relax you are in fact adding bandwidth and improving the performance of your own CPU. Shut down all of your technology and invest time daily in going to a technology free zone. Everyone’s tech free zone is different some of my colleagues enjoy practicing yoga some prayer and others prefer the lost art of the power nap. Whatever works best for you go to that place in your mind and defragment your hard drive it will pay dividends later.