Self Management
I hope 2020 has been treating you well! I know so many people have restarted their New Year on February 1st, simply because January was a hard welcome to 2020. This is completely normal and it’s okay if January was a little bit more than you bargained for. Also, Happy Black History Month!
The start of a new year is all about making new goals, breaking bad habits and trying to ask yourself for more out of life and yourself. It’s hard to break a cycle, and it’s hard to manage all of these ideal goals all at once.
That’s why this week, we will be focused on realigning ourselves, not breaking ourselves down because we plateaued or haven’t fully reached our stride.
1. Best kind to yourself
Trying to start something new whether its to stop ordering Ubereats and just cook more, or plan that solo trip you always wanted is hard. Any way you slice it when you’re starting a new adventure, there needs to be some room for adjustment. Be kind to yourself in those months of adjustment, nothing and I mean nothing comes over night. Something I keep telling myself is “welcome failure”. It is scary to start and then fail, but its sad to not have tried at all! What I’ve started to tell myself to welcome failure into my life. That way I can grow quicker and become more agile faster.
2. Timelines! Timelines!
Maybe it’s time to lookover the timeline you had for yourself in relation to your goals. It’s hard to stick to a specific timeline, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have one. When you’re reassessing the timeline you had for a new goal, try to also considering what supports you’ll need in those difficult times that you may not have the motivation to accomplish your goal. For an example, one of my goals is to get into a workout routine, and I know something that can help alleviate the stress on those days I don’t want to workout is to make sure I eat really healthy that day. It’s those little things to keep you right on track towards your goals. Find a timeline that works for you and be flexible.
3. Management
It’s important to figure out what type of management style you like for yourself. I know for me I prefer the “Laissez-Faire/Off-hands” approach. This management style allows me to identify what my big ideal goals are, and I make sure to check on them frequently to assure I’m on track but I’m not micromanaging myself into exhaustion. That’s one thing I hate micromanaging to the point the goal doesn’t feel like a positive attainment and more of a chore. You want your goals to matter, you want them to inspire you and bring you a semblance of joy. Find out your management style and figure out how you can best address your goals through that style.
4. Life + Work Balance
The key word here is balance. Find a balance with your responsibilities because you want to be someone that is dependable and accountable to their decisions. I know for me, January was a taxing month career wise. There were a lot of hurdles to overcome and remain motivated for. It wasn’t because I didn’t enjoy want I did, but it was more so I had so much to do at work I was exhausted by the time I got to my “Life” goals. To achieve balance for myself, I used my weekends to realign myself. For now I know I can try to accomplish parts of my life goals for now because my career is taking more of my focus. I’m realizing to reach my goals I have to allow myself the opportunity to recuperate and to be mentally and physically available. In this, I’ve put a lot of my energy into my work life, knowing when February and March roles around I can transition a lot of that energy back into my life goals.
There will always be things to do whether in your life or at your job. Your priority is to keep focused on things you can control, and to not let things out of your control overcome you. Stay balanced, stay calm and keep focused.
