Five hints to having a productive Fall
Ah fall…. The kids are heading back to school, summer fun is winding down, and our thoughts turn to getting back to business. There is something about the change of this season that makes us want to get organized and get back into high gear. Maybe it’s the extra caffeine kick from the Pumpkin Spice Lattes, who knows?
So how do we do it? How do we make the most of this boost in action and get ourselves organized and moving? Here are our top five ideas to get yourself ready to take on the task.
- Make time to get your sweat on: Surprise, surprise… our number one tip is to make time for your dose of daily activity. A small study completed by Briston University on a group of 200 employees showed that on days that they worked out, the employees reported a 21% higher ability to concentrate, 22% higher ability to finish their work on time and 41% higher level of motivation to work. We also already know that a consistent exercise routine gives you more energy overall, so make sure you schedule yourself time to get in your daily 30 minutes of activity. Which leads us to tip number two…
- If it’s important, schedule it: Creating a schedule that includes time dedicated not just to your work day but also to your other to-do priorities will help you keep your eyes on the prize. Including non-negotiable time on your schedule (time with friends, time to work out, time to keep your household under control) is step one to making sure that things that are important get done, and those that are less important can fall away. And that brings me to point three…
- Know when to say no: Most of us are people pleasers, which makes it difficult when people ask us for a favour requiring our time or when you receive an invitation to a social event you aren’t really excited about. The best way to know when to say no is to think about your long term goals, be they social, work or family related, and then decide if the ask will help you further these goals. For example, if you have a goal to become more engaged at your child’s school then helping out with the school garden is a great way to further these goals. If your goal is to free up more time to exercise then saying no to someone asking you to go to a movie on your workout night is likely the right decision. Don’t feel guilty; it’s okay to put yourself first.
- De-clutter to Re-Ignite: It’s no great secret that controlling the clutter will help you be more effective and get things done faster. A study conducted at the Princeton University Neuroscience Institute shows that when you are trying to work in a cluttered environment, it also clutters you mentally. The clutter “competes for your attention” and reduces your mental ability to focus and get things done. But where to begin? Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project, suggests taking five minutes each day to organize some area of your home or office. Whether you chose to clean up a drawer or review the clothing in your closet to see what you can donate to charity is a great way to slowly chip away at de-cluttering a variety of areas of your life. Or for a deeper foray into organization, try dostadning: the Swedish art of “death cleaning”.
- Set achievable goals: Much like training for race day, setting goals for yourself will help you remember where you need to go and how you are going to get there. Pick one big goal for the season (something to achieve between now and November), a slightly smaller goal for each month, and then some doable weekly goals that will get you there. If you decide you want to spend the fall making healthier eating choices, then a monthly goal could be something like “no fast food for the month of October”, and then committing to do weekly meal prep and tracking your food intake daily will help you to break it down into manageable pieces. Even if every day isn’t perfect, you will get a long way towards hitting your big goal by keeping it in site all the time.