Now that spring has sprung, it’s the time of year to clean out the closets, pantries and garages, but your spring cleaning doesn’t need to stop there. It turns out, your career could probably benefit from a little refresh as well. Entrepreneur and CEO coach Emily Lyons says spring is the ideal time to reflect on your career and figure out what changes can be made to improve productivity and work-life balance.
So where do you start? Lyons encourages people to ask themselves this key question: What needs to be added or removed to help you move forward this year?” From there, declutter and simplify your work environment and find new strategies to help you be more productive and focused. Here’s how Lyons and other career experts recommend doing it.
- Question yourself - Transitional life strategist Randi Levin suggests starting each day by asking yourself “What three things can I do differently?” Then focus on what you can accomplish in 24 hours and do it again the next day, “leaning into your results.”
- Rethink New Year’s resolutions - At the start of the year, we tend to plan more than we can realistically handle, according to executive coach Christoff Poppe. So spring is the ideal time to look at your progress and reevaluate your occupational goals for the rest of the year.
- Make a brag folder - It can be a folder, file or notes where you record your achievements including thank you notes you’ve gotten, project results, sales goals you’ve reached and positive feedback. It can help at year-end reviews and updating your resume, as well as be a source of motivation when you need a pick-me-up.
- Try a task audit - Career coach Skye Sauchelli recommends shedding dead weight to boost productivity. “Write all of your typical daily tasks down on paper, and draw a line through all the tasks that just cause you to spin your wheels,” she said. “Cross off those tasks that are time-wasters — the ones that don’t move the needle, that don’t make a difference for the bottom line.” That will make it a lot easier to focus on the tasks that do move the needle.
- Slow down - According to Lyons, spring is a great time to look at your commitments and decide which are essential and which you can let go of to free up time and energy for more important tasks.
Source: NY Post