The Corporate Health & Wellness Association wants you to know that we think about you every day. From how we develop our content strategies to how we build our education and training programs. To help you start 2018 off on the right foot, we put together this short list of tips to help you excel in the New Year.
Improve Your Time Management - Plan, Plan, Plan
This plan is more than just being task-oriented, it is being intentional. If you have a client you're taking care, or a strategy your implementing, you need to plan, plan and plan. Then plan some more. Begin and end each day with planning. The end of the day is when you spend time in review and reflection. The most time should be spent at this time -15 -20 minutes when everything is fresh in your mind from your day.
The following day you review your plan, make adjustments and then go. When scheduling your day, be sure to not only write in appointments in your schedule but make appointments for yourself to be productive. Treat yourself like an appointment. To better manage your tasks, for example, divide your tasks into three categories: A, B, and C.
Keep your must-do tasks in the "A" category and do these first. Then, a "B" task is something that needs to be done this week. Finally, a "C" task is something that needs to be done eventually. This will keep you organized, on task, and allows you to see how your tasks fall into the bigger picture.
Increase Productivity and Don't Settle for Ordinary
If you have been working the standard 9 to 5, it's time to step out of that comfort zone. Challenge yourself to do more and keep your productivity free from interruptions. Do not let emergencies derail your day. Every day has a new challenge to overcome.
Embrace it! Get ready to tackle it and when that emergency comes in and takes precedence over your productive time, ask yourself, is this going to help or hurt our revenue, our process, or our clients? In Franklyn Covey's book, "The 5 Choices, The Path to Extraordinary Productivity" the time matrix model helps you break this time down.
- Q1 - Necessity: Crises, Emergency meetings, Last-minute deadlines, Pressing problems and unforeseen events.
- Q2 - Extraordinary Productivity: Proactive work, High-impact goals, creative thinking, planning, prevention, relationship building, learning, and renewal.
- Q3 - Distraction: Needless interruptions, unnecessary reports, irrelevant meetings, other people's minor issues, unimportant emails, tasks phone calls status posts etc.
- Q4 - Waste: Trivial Work, Avoidance activities, excessive relaxation, television gaming, internet, time-wasters, and Gossip.
Everyone's time and energy end in one of these quadrants. By focusing on Q2, rather than the others, we can maximize our time and returns!
Schedule your Interruptions to Manage Time Better
We have all been busy at work, "in the zone" and getting tasks done when a colleague comes in to ask a question. It can wreck your entire train of thought and set you back hours. A helpful trick to prevent this is to set aside a time slot for these distractions. When that colleague comes up tell them to come back at that time. Don't let other people become a productivity derailment. Essentially leave gaps in your schedule that will allow you to adjust your activities or to accept the interruptions as priorities.
Master Technology, Don't let it Master you
It is not enough to have a crucial piece of technology, you actually need to know how to use it. Most programs have a training video to teach you how to use it proficiently. By learning to master your system, you will spend less time in trial and error discovering how to actually use the system and may even learn a new process the technology can do to make your life easier. It is your technology. Learn it, figure out how to optimize it so that you can excel without time wasters.
Focus on Well-being to Improve your Business
Make time for yourself every day. One wise wellness coach once told me "to treat your health like your job." Set aside personal time dedicated just to you, and grow from there whether it is to meditate, exercise, or just relax. If you don't have time, find a short workout video for beginners. There are thousands of these videos on the internet, all free and all can be modified for beginners. You can even start with an 8-minute workout, work your way to 30 minutes, then an hour.
Make baby steps to your diet plan. Add a fruit or vegetable to your day and modify your menu. Try not to eat after a certain time in the evening. Schedule your workout time and stick to it. Even if you only have 8 minutes, that is 8 more than most people! The key is to make the change. Make it small, attainable and hold yourself accountable for it.
Read Something to Develop a New Skill Daily
Growth is just as important to well-being as maintaining our health. Developing new skills is essential to our continued mental health and personal development. Our membership allows our members to read and or take certification courses included in the price. Do this for yourself and your career. If reading is a challenge, then read what interests you. Whether it is a daily devotional or science-fiction book, exercising your brain every day keeps you sharp.
End Each Day with Intention
At the end of each day, schedule a minimum of ten minutes to contemplate your intentions. Answer this question every day: What is the one thing I can do for myself to make my day better. When you have the answer firmly in your mind, think how it will make you feel when you achieve that answer. How will you feel when your outcome matches your desire?
Write down your answer and your feelings, set it in a safe place so you can visit it in the morning. At some point between brushing your teeth, read that note to yourself and remember that answer and your feeling. The power of your intention will create your reality. We want to be here to support you with content, information, and more importantly, networking opportunities. This is your year and we are your association, become a member and join us on this journey!
