I sleep with the curtains open

This year I’ve had the opportunity to meet many young people from the UAE and the MENA region at events, conferences and seminars. An inquisitive brunch, I’m often asked about my career journey from starting in the IT department of a hospital to being appointed a Minister of State earlier this year. Part of my response to their questions is always the same: I learnt how to be effective. Here’s some of the things that I do that help me to achieve balance and effectiveness, at work and in life:

Sleep with the curtains open. The morning is when I am most effective so I make the morning longer by getting up early. Sleep with your curtains open and you won’t need an alarm. Use your time before work to get things done – work, life or both – and suddenly you find your whole day becomes more effective.

101 summary for successful meeting: I attend a lot of meetings, sometimes eight in a day. But I never go to a meeting without doing a 101 summary to include who I’m meeting with, what we are discussing and why. Make sure you know what you need to give and take out from the meeting. I also subscribe to a screen-face-down policy for phones in meetings. Giving someone your full attention is the first step in building rapport.

Read something new every week. This year has been the UAE’s Year of Reading, in recognition that reading is the foundation of learning. I’m realistic, we don’t always have time to read every book on the list. So pick up an article every week. Choose a topic you know nothing about. Last week I clicked on an article about milk in the US and ended up learning about sales tactics.

Tap into TED. I listen to a TED talk or podcast at least once a week when I want to learn but not read. I’d love to see some TED Talks in Arabic, I would watch twice as many.

Engage for context. Make the effort to understand what is happening in the economy, in politics and in society – locally, regionally and globally. This is the backdrop that shapes business and it is hard to make effective decisions if you don’t know the context to the choices you are making.  

 Skip the sofa. I get some of my best ideas when I’m training in the gym. While the spinning class is working out my legs, my mind has a chance to relax and this gives it space to create. I’m sure this is why good ideas also seem to hit me when I’m on holiday!

Rest and recreation. Making time for your family and friends is important for effectiveness too. Taking the time to switch off and spend time with the people I love, without a doubt, fills me with positive energy that I take back to my work life.

Everyone is different in how they operate at their best. We are not all morning people and we don’t all learn best through written word. The start of a new year is traditionally a time for reflection followed by resolution. I hope these snippets from my own effectiveness toolkit will inspire you to discover ways to enable you to achieve your best day, every day, in 2017 the #theyearofgiving.

To all of those celebrating festive events this month, I wish you peace and joy for these special occasions.