At the beginning of the year, resolutions for a better 2018 are at the top of everyone’s mind. While money and health goals are often the most popular topics, your career goals deserve some attention too. Resolutions are sometimes branded as a waste of time because, according to U.S. News and World Report, 80% of resolutions are abandoned by the second week of February. To help you keep resolutions that matter and are impactful to your career, read our 3 simple ways to help you keep your mind, body, and spirit focused on your resolutions well beyond February.
Mind: Improve Your Productivity Levels
The procrastination bug can bite at any time and did so when I sat down to write this article. I opened a blank document and then continued to do everything but write. We all fall victim to procrastination, but there are a few productivity techniques you can try to help yourself break free from this self-sabotaging habit.
One popular solution is the Pomodoro Technique, which breaks your time up into 25 minute increments, or “pomodoros” with 5 minute breaks in between. After 4 pomodoros, take a 15-20 minute break to refresh your mind and keep you focused for your next pomodoro.
Another solution to time-wasting is to become aware of when and where you’re wasting your time. Install the RescueTime extension on your computer for daily reports of what you accomplished and where your all of your lost time is disappearing to. When you know where you’re being distracted (looking at you, Facebook), you can set up a list of sites to block to help you help yourself.
Body: Dress for the Job You Want
When I’m feeling down in the dumps, one of my coping mechanisms for going about my day is to dress up more. It helps me feel better about myself and improves my day, and science backs up this technique. Research from the Social Psychological and Personality Science journal shows that wearing formal clothing helps the wearer feel better about themselves and like they were more in control and more creative. The solution is clear: feeling down? Dress up!
Sometimes dressing up means wearing smarter and better engineered clothing too. To optimize success we must first be both comfortable and confident in our appearance, the tough part is finding the fine line between too comfortable while maintaining our own signature professional aesthetic. Men’s clothing company Tommy John has created a line of moisture-wicking and antimicrobial men’s underwear and undershirts (that won’t untuck) loved by professionals across many industries, their products help aspiring individuals feel both cool and supported during the high stress moments (interviews, big pitches, public speaking engagements).Check out this savvy infographic below filled with insights for overcoming physical discomforts we all endure, like fidgeting, sweating, and pacing.
Spirit: Learn How to Laser Focus through Meditation
Some individuals feel that they can never focus because they can’t quiet their busy mind. Your mind can be your biggest foe and research has shown that mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques, like mediation, yoga and deep breathing exercises can have positive impact on your focus and overall in your life. Try apps like Aaptiv which offer guided meditation sessions. Videos on YouTube are another simple way to learn how to meditate, stretch and control your heart rate to increase your focus while decreasing your stress levels.
Growing Forward 