Keep the Professional in Summer

We have been doing lots of things to have fun this summer, but in the world of work, don’t forget to keep the professionalism alive. Nothing says, “sitting back and goofing off,” like inappropriate dress, language, and work habits. Here are tips to keep the professionalism in your job:

• Read a good book, such as The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. It’s an oldie, but goody.
• Dive into a dreaded project as if it were a swimming pool. You can always set a timer for small increments of time (10-15 minutes) so the project does not look daunting. Breaking big projects into smaller parts keeps them from becoming overwhelming.
• Set a routine and do frequent tasks on a specific schedule. For instance, handle phone calls between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. or read the mail between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Another suggestion is to do certain tasks on specific days of the week.
• Look for new, creative ways to do your job in order to change your perspective. Rearrange or redecorate your office so it reflects summer’s sunny disposition.
• Smile and have fun!

DEVELOP A PLAN

This week’s blog continues with goals. If you haven’t yet written down your goals, think about the benefits of doing so and write at least one goal. If you do have goals written, pull them out and develop a solid plan of action to attain the goals.

Ask yourself these questions:

• What am I willing to do to attain this goal?
• What am I willing to give up to attain this goal? (i.e., time? money?)
• Do I have the ability and means to attain this goal?
• If I do not have the ability or means to attain this goal, can I obtain the ability or means?
• Is this goal a high priority for me?
• Are there steps today I can take toward accomplishing this goal?
• Do I take steps everyday to reach my goal?
• Is what I am doing now bringing me closer to my goal?
• What steps can I take to reach my goal?
• How will I organize the steps I need to take to reach my goal?

When you make goals your priority and focus on attaining them, you may be surprised how quickly they come to fruition. Why wait? Take action today.

Carol

RE-EVALUATE AS THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR BEGINS

July begins the second half of the year—a good time to re-evaluate goals if you were one of the people who set them at the beginning of the year. If you didn’t take time to set goals yet this year, now is a good time to do it. Goals set the target spot you want to hit.

Remember the basics of goal setting:

• Goals should be something only you can attain. If you need to involve other people to reach your goals, you may not be able to succeed.
• Goals should be measurable. Set a timeframe for accomplishing the goal.
• Goals should be clearly defined and written. Write down exactly what you would like to obtain accomplish. You cannot get something if you do not know what it is you want. Be specific.
• Work on the goals you set.

Look over previously written goals, and define your progress. Now is the time to decide if the goal is still important to you. If not, you may want to eliminate it or change it. Have you accomplished those goals you had intended to accomplish by now? Are you on target for reaching goals you are still pursuing?

Set those goals and see how far you can go,

Carol