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2017 - Year of the Self-Care
2017 is the Year of the Self and that means taking care of number 1.
So when plotting New Year’s Resolutions make sure they include things like learning something new, staying connected, setting goals and more ME time!
When setting professional objectives, do not forget to take the time to focus on your personal objectives too. Balance is the key and personal development feeds into your professional outcomes as well. For example, you will not be achieving your true professional potential if your physical, emotional and social wellbeing are out of whack. Why not do the Headington Institute’s Self Care and Lifestyle Balance Inventory Quiz to measure how well you are looking after yourself.
I know EAs are some of the busiest people on earth. So my tip for self-care is to explore some of the apps available. Reclaim some moments each day just for you. Do a quick meditation on the bus or during your lunch break. It is so easy now with our personal devices, so take the time to press reset on stress and return to some balance. My favourite ME time apps:
Take a Break! (Free) Guided Meditations for Stress Relief Apple / Android I am addicted to these meditations whether I need to revive during the day or get to sleep at night. www.meditationoasis.com
Headspace(Free) Guided Meditations for Stress Relief Apple / Android. Headspace is like a personal trainer for your mind. www.headspace.com/how-it-works
Smiling Mind (Free) Guided Meditations for Stress Relief Apple / Android. Smiling mind is a not for profit organisation making mindfulness and meditation accessible to all. smilingmind.com.au
Goal Setting for 2017
Yes, setting goals – you know you have to. If you are going to make sure the “I” doesn’t go out of focus then you need to lay down some plans. It is that time again when we all start to think about what we want for the coming year. We look back over our shoulder and watch 2016 drifting away and turn forward determined not to let 2017 disappear into a series of hours, days, months floating into our past without significance. Not this year! It is going to be our year! We want to take stock, move towards our dreams, aspirations and goals and harness the best version of ourselves we can. How do we do this - we set goals. When setting goals they should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time based (SMART).
We can apply the SMART model to goal setting by breaking the goals down into objectives. For example, if a goal was to ‘get fit’ we could break that down into SMART objectives. Such as, ‘get fit by attending the gym 3 times per week and lose 5 kilos within 3 months’. So is it SMART…
Specific
Is the goal specific or just a general statement?
Measurable
At the end of 3 months can you measure if you attended the gym 3 times per week and if you lost 5 kilos?
Achievable
Do you actually have time to attend the gym 3 times per week?
Is there a gym near you that you can join?
Can you afford to join a gym?Realistic
Do you actually like going to the gym – is it something you can see yourself doing?
Is 3 times a week a realistic amount of time you can dedicate to this goal?
Is 5 kilos a realistic amount of weight to lose in 3 months?Timely
Has a timeframe been set? Timeframes might be chunked to allow you to re-examine your overall goals. In this example, getting fit might be more of a long-term goal but by setting a 3 month target you can re-evaluate and adjust it if necessary in the short term to ensure that you stay on track.
2017 is also the year of the Rooster which means it is time to perfect your cock-a-doodle-do and get out there. It is the year to be seen, heard, noticed and admired. Not that we need an excuse to party but it is the year to be sociable. So start strutting and get yourselves networking this year. The Rooster always achieves his objectives so make connections and strengthen connections to achieve yours.
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