Too often people are focused on how to manage, but never stop to ask themselves; “what would it take to thrive?” The path to becoming the office MVP, and the hero of your own life all begins with mindset.
The first question you have to ask yourself is “why?” What is your why? What lead you to this webpage at 8:45 am as you are sipping coffee out of your “World’s Best . . .” mug. Maybe your answer lies in the starry-eyed son or daughter who gave you that mug, who sincerely believes that you are the best in the world. Maybe your why is rooted in the desire to earn some recognition in the office, so you can get that promotion you have been wanting. Perhaps it’s simply a New Year’s resolution to become a little more organized after the chaos of the previous year’s end.
It all begins with your “why.”
In the words of Viktor Frankl, the Austrian Psychiatrist, and Holocaust survivor, “those who have the ‘why’ to live can bear with almost any ‘how.’” Now that you have determined your why, it is all a matter of planning.
How are you going to achieve your goal?
We are at the stage in life where wanting change is no longer enough, we must actively work to create it. You know what you want, so go get it!
You know the basics of organization already, so start there:
1.) Make a “to do” list: A simple, but extremely effective organizational skill. Start ranking the items on your list from highest to lowest priority, and tackle them accordingly. The satisfaction of drawing a red line from a ball point pen across that challenge upon completion is immeasurable.
2.) Start writing events in your digital calendar: The only thing worse than remembering you had a meeting the day of, is forgetting it all together. By taking a few minutes to plug meetings into your calendar you will spare yourself a panic attack down the road. Also, your clients, and your superiors will come to appreciate your timeliness, and learn to further depend on you. Trust is earned.
3.) Delegate small tasks to save some time, or multi-task: Delegation is one of the most powerful tools in any leader’s arsenal. Time is the most precious resource that we possess as human beings, so utilize it optimally. I understand this task may seem arduous to our “type A” readers; however, it is imperative that you learn how to trust other people to produce quality work. If you take on a “control freak” approach you will create disruption in your team, and ultimately hinder productivity. Learn how to trust your team, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and plan accordingly. In doing so, you will be able to decrease your workload, so you can effectively manage progress.
4.) Speak to someone who is organized, and get some tips: This tip seems intuitive in nature; however, how many people will actually utilize it? If you are an introvert like me, I understand the social anxiety associated with such a task. What I have come to learn is that humans are social creatures, WE LOVE TO TALK! Especially about ourselves! It is important to identify people that we see as inspired, more often than not, they are the most genuine. If you approach such a person with a sincere curiosity, you will receive a sincere answer. As human beings, it is within our nature to want to help one another.
The 21st century is rich with information, and the answers to our daily challenges are all around us. It’s all a matter of actively seeking these answers in order to create meaningful changes in our lives.
I encourage you all to ask the question, “why settle for managing, when you can thrive?”
Dare to ask more from yourself, become the hero in the office, and at home.
This article was also featured in our newsletter Bottom Line Vol. 15