Tag Archives: Tips

May28

How not to need a vacation after being on vacation

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How not to need a vacation after being on vacation

The long weekend is over and so are the days of lounging on a recliner chair while binge-watching a recently concluded Netflix series. Even though you wish that the food, fun, and festivities would never end, it’s back to work for most of us.

Going back to work shouldn’t be a dreaded thing. Sure, we all wish the long weekend would draw out longer, but the thought of an exploding inbox and looming work deadlines is enough to make you have anxiety attacks over what is supposed to be a holiday break. You’re supposed to be enjoying the long weekend and not counting down the hours till it’s over.

Here, let me help you ease back into the work week coming from the holiday break. I have 3 tips for you.

Schedule a cushion.
You need some time to ease back into your groove thang. If you can take another day off for a 1-day extension of your holiday break, then do that. If you can’t afford to take an extra day off, then wind down a few hours earlier so you can relax and get your work mindset on. Do something relaxing like taking a long bath or baking a treat. These and similar activities will give you a few hours to chill and take your mind off impending work for a while.

Once you get back to work, don’t dive into a major project right away. Give yourself time to get back into a sense of normalcy. Start with small tasks, then work your way up.

Take yourself back with a souvenir
Avoiding a burnout can be as simple as reminiscing. If you have something to remember your vacation by, then you can take a quick mental break by going back to that place. Pictures, souvenirs, or even scents can take you back to your vacation. You may find that essential and diffuser oils come in handy when taking you back to a place. I have one friend who, whenever she’s on vacation, ask the spa where they’re getting a massage what scent is diffusing in the background and asks to buy a small bottle of it.

Take mini breaks
Do not go into full beast mode at work right after you get back from break. If you’re the boss, nobody likes a slave driver. If you’re an employee, you’re going to work yourself to the ground and face a burnout. Like I said earlier, the trick is to ease into it slowly. People don’t expect you to be caught up in one day. Take mini breaks. Ask around for updates on existing projects. Ask about news on pipeline projects. Get as much information and updates as you can before you die head first into work.

What about you? What are your tips for easing back into work from a vacation? We’d love for you to share them with us in the comments. Remember to stay humble and hustle hard.

Written by Jaie O. The Help

Apr29

Simple ways to find out your priorities from a to-do list

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Simple ways to find out your priorities from a to-do list

Not every item on your to-do list is of equal importance. Be honest with yourself, some task won’t mean the end of the world if they don’t get done. When everything on your to-do list is a priority, then nothing is. This is why you should stick to 1 to 3 priorities and write them at the very top of your list. If you overload your to-do list with things that must absolutely get done, then nothing will.

We all know how hard it is to pick priority items when you have your plate full. So without further ado, here are 4 tips to help you prioritize your action items.

Write a to-do list
You should have seen this one coming. It is hard to pick out a priority task if you don’t even have a list. So get yourself organized and create a to-do list. List everything that you need to get done and categorize them into whatever system works for you. Some examples are:

Home
❏ Pick up dry cleaning
❏ Take kids to school
❏ Get ingredients for dinner

Work
❏ Draft newsletter
❏ Build a mailing list
❏ Send out newsletter campaigns

Or you can categorize them into activities:

Writing
❏ Create an outline
❏ Draft chapter 1

Layout
❏ Pick images
❏ Create template

Pick a system that works for you and stick to that.

Pick your priority tasks.
Pick one to three priority task per day (or a week, depending on what system works for you). The productivity powerhouse, Dr. John Maxwell said: “Things that matter most should not be at the mercy of things that matter least.” That should guide you in picking your priority tasks. Pick the task that has the most impact and importance.

Stop trying to do things yourself.
Yes, I mean learn how to delegate tasks that are urgent but not important. Items that require immediate action, but do not contribute to the goal can be delegated or better yet, automated. For example, email inquiries can be delegated, or you can create canned responses for the team to use.

However, I also mean stop trying to figure out the task by yourself. If you have a question, ask. If the task assigned to you seems vague, the burden of clarifying falls on the task giver, not on you. So go back to the person who assigned you the task and find out exactly what they need you to do. Otherwise, do not accept tasks without the necessary details needed to complete the work.

Find time to plan.
Find a convenient time to plan your activities. Carve out a quiet time when you can look at your schedule and upcoming activities so that you can plan your list accordingly. Friday afternoons could work so that your to-do list is still fresh on your mind. Or you could go for Sunday evenings so that you can plan for the rest of the week in advance. Do whatever works best with your schedule. Once your list is complete, you can pick out your priorities by day or by week – whichever works for you.

What are your top tips on prioritizing? Care to share them with us? Stay humble and hustle hard.

Written by Jaie O. The Help

Mar11

Are you anywhere near accomplishing your goals?

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Are you anywhere near accomplishing your goals?

The first quarter of the year is almost over – a few more days and it’s on to Q2. I’m sure we’ve all made goals that are “NOT new year’s resolutions” at the beginning of the year. I know that you also promised yourself that you won’t be making those, just goals and guidelines to how you want the rest of your year to go.

But time goes by so quickly. Just one supermoon and one mercury retrograde ago, it was the beginning of the year. Now, a quarter has gone by. It’s time we re-evaluate where we are with the goals we set for ourselves at the beginning of the year.

How close are you to checking off, or even starting on your personal goals? Maybe some of you made quick work out of them. Maybe some of you have crossed off a few and have added more. Maybe some of you have yet to start. Here’s a guideline for your guidelines, to help you accomplish those big dreams.

Make it SMARTER:
You all know that SMART goals mean:
● S – specific
● M – measurable
● A – achievable
● R – relevant
● T – time bound

Let’s just add:
● E – evaluative
● R – revisable
Evaluative means you can consider and reconsider your goals. Revisable means they are flexible enough to re-strategize but firm enough to hold you to them.

Write them down:
Remember those beautiful notebooks you got from the brick and mortar bookshop? Use them! We retain more information if we write them down. Also, it gives me great satisfaction to cross things off of lists. Imagine if it were a bg goal you crossed off your list, how happy would you be?

Break it down:
I can’t stress this enough. Break your goals down into more manageable steps and concrete action plans. Otherwise, if you assign a goal as vague as…lose weight – then you’re done if you lose a pound and won’t try anymore. So maybe you can say, my goals is to lose 10 lbs. Then you go on to break it down into “lose a pound per week”. From there you can create a plan of action per week to help you lose that 1 pound.

Hold yourself accountable:
Some people like to broadcast their plans so that other people can check in with them and help get them back on track. For example, you can get a workout buddy. Some people work on their goals silently and surprise others with results. Whichever side of the track you’re on – have a mechanism for holding yourself accountable.

Develop systems, habits, and strategies:
I am an advocate of using technology to make goal setting and goal achieving easier. Use trackers, productivity apps, calendars, notepads, or any system that will make it easier for you to reach your goals.

Reward yourself:
Have cake. Eat it too. Celebrate your wins!

Got any tips for us on reaching your goals? Hare them with us in the comments. Stay humble and hustle hard.

Written by Jaie O. The Help