Resolution Conflict

The end of the year is rapidly approaching. The conclusion of one year and start of another is a time for reflection. How can we improve? What can we do better? Many resolutions are made, few are kept.

Intentions are good, but the force of habit and human nature is incredibly hard to break.

What are the hardest workplaces resolutions to keep? Thanks to some of the best memes of 2018, I'm going to tell you

Inbox Zero

For those of you who are OCD (or should they be CDO) Inbox Zero isn’t a choice but a way of life. It is the ultimate #firstworldproblem Sisyphean task.

The second you get there, next week’s fire drill is being planned, a client wants to reschedule your call, and would you like to contribute money to Keith’s farewell present?

If achieving Inbox Zero is a lost cause, go for something more manageable.

No unread emails.

To see inboxes with hundreds of unread emails hurts the soul.

Food Glorious Food

Lazy hungry me: Will get a burger for lunch.

Voice of common sense: You always do that and regret it after.

Stomach: But I’m starving.

Voice of common sense: Ok just don’t get the fries.

After lunch

Voice of common sense: Why didn’t you listen?

Queasy Stomach: You’re right. Never again.

Of course, it happens again. Our plans to make something at home and bring it in never seem to come to fruition. So, it comes down to takeout or raiding the laundry room for Tide Pods. Speaking of which...

Let Them Eat Cake

Trying to stay away from junk food is hard enough, but it's near on impossible at work where there is a constant stream of birthday cake, goodbye cake, snacks, chocolate, candy, beer o'clock, and whatever else there may be.

If you want to avoid all junk food, best to avoid the break room and unsubscribe from the emails telling you there’s cake. This way you can kill two birds with one stone.  

Desk Job

Why is it that whenever you’re watching a movie/TV show and there’s a scene in someone’s office their desk is immaculate?!?!?! There is nothing on it apart from a thin manila folder!

Then there's your desk - if you can find it under the pile of stuff.

Outwards appearances matter and there is nothing worse than killing it at work only for your boss to comment – clean up your desk.

Skillset

Every off-season, basketballers spend their summer working on their game. They will work on a weakness and devote hundreds of hours into improving it.

Whether it’s Excel, Powerpoint, or social media posting, we all have our Achilles Heels.

We may wish to learn a foreign language or  gain the confidence to present in public.

Whatever you want to improve, it can only happen if you're prepared to fail. For the only way you can embrace success is if you're open to bumps along the way. By acknowledging your weakness, you can begin the journey on the road to success. Take the tests along the way and don’t cheat. No peeking.

You haven’t taken an exam in a long while and don’t welcome the once extremely familiar feeling of it, but it’s the only way you can slay the dragon.

Just Right

Speaking of strengths and weaknesses, balance is important. Too much of anything isn’t good.

• Talk too much in meetings/not enough.
• Too impatient
• Too honest
• Too critical
• Too sensitive
• Too singularly Focused/Not focused enough
• Too detail oriented
• Too instinctive
• Too much of a procrastinator
• Too much of a perfectionist (may be a cute answer in an interview to biggest weakness, but it’s a real issue that means deliverables are never delivered.)

Pareto Parato

We are creatures of habit and the 80/20 rule confirms this.

How does it apply to office life? We speak to the same 20%, 80% of the time. Of the clothes in our wardrobe we wear 20% of them, 80% of the time, so on and so forth.

Throw out the 80% of clothes you don't wear and buy clothes you will.

Make an effort to speak to different people.

Develop a brand on other type of social media

Don’t listen to the same playlist over and over again, find some new songs.

Sleep On It

If there is one thing we can’t get enough of it’s sleep. It will impact your health and in turn your ability to perform. Every person is different – you know how much sleep you need and if you’re not getting enough go to bed earlier.

Best of all, you can complete a New Year’s Resolution by doing nothing at all! You can wake up every morning with a great sense of fulfillment!

Wishing you and your family the compliments of the season. Here's to a tremendous 2019!