Seven ways you can finish the year energised.
Perhaps the scariest moment of the year is when supermarkets start selling Christmas mince pies.
The moment we catch a glimpse of that buttery pastry, we experience simultaneous emotions of exhaustion, self-doubt, disbelief, anger, stress and of course desire for the comfort that a hit of sugary goodness will bring.
Every year it’s the same story of struggling our way to the silly season only to annihilate ourselves (and our productivity) further with stress, bad food, and alcohol.
What if we could finish the year energised, instead of exhausted?
Here’s seven ways you can do just that.
1. Make a plan that focuses on what (really) matters.
- Every day we consciously and unconsciously make decisions to spend time and money on stuff that really doesn’t matter.
- Write down the Top 5 things that matter to you between now and Dec 31. Be ruthless.
- Don’t forget to include yourself as one of them.
2. Vanquish energy vampires
- Now that you know what matters, it’ll be clear to you what doesn’t. It’s time to say no to these things or, in some cases, people. Be polite and honest.
- Take a look at your diary and make a list of 5 things you can say No to next week. For a humorous but extremely practical approach check out the Not Sorry method.
3. Focus on how you start and end your days
- Your night determines your day. Create a screen-free sleep routine for the last hour before bed and stick to it.
- Always start your day in an energising way. Get up within ten seconds of waking up. Do some exercise and eat a healthy breakfast. Write down the top 3 things that matter that day that need to be completed.
4. Find your flow
- Reflect on the times this year that you felt really in the zone.
- Now write down why. Which strengths were you using? Whom were you working with? What were you working on? What factors made it special?
- When you are aware of these things, it's much easier to work out a way to recreate at least one flow situation a week.
5. Stop and reflect on what you’ve learned and achieved this year
- Write a list of all the things you’ve learned this year, no matter how small.
- Write a list of all the things you’ve achieved this year, no matter how small.
- Share your lists with the people you care about and trust. Encourage them to write their own.
6. Make time for joy
- Finish your day by thinking about the three things that made you shimmy that day. Yes, I said shimmy! It could be a wee shimmy or a big shimmy. Here's a lesson if you want a shimmy that gets noticed.
- Think about what would make you shimmy tomorrow. Write it down and make it happen.
7. Practise mindful eating at one meal every day
Energx clients love this little life hack. It’s a way to slow down, have some time for yourself, and nourish your body and mind.
It’s also a great exercise to do with a team or group of people to help everyone become present before any team exercise.
Here’s how you do it.
- Get away from your desk to somewhere quiet.
- Drink a glass of water and grab another for during your meal.
- Set your phone timer to 3 minutes. For this time you’ll eat completely in silence to really enjoy the sensation of eating.
- Slow down and with each mouthful, bring all of your attention to your senses.
- Write down what you notice:
- How does it taste? How many individual tastes are combining?
- How does it smell?
- How do the textures feel? How do they change as you chew?
- How does your food look? How many colours do you notice?
- How does the food sound as you eat?
If you are eating with someone, share your experience and how you feel afterwards.
Be kind to yourself by getting started today.
Just doing one thing a day from now until Christmas, will completely change how you feel when Santa arrives.
Meaningful work Expert exploring Fun Jobs | Keynote Speaker | Consultant | Coach Fun job 1: Opera Extra Fun job 2: Ski Instructor Fun job 3: Photographer Next: Stand-up Comedian
7 年Nice post Sean. No. 3 will be challenge for me. 10 seconds?!?
Managing Director, Initiative | 2022 & 2023 B&T Women in Media Finalist | 2023 & 2024 B&T Women in Media Power List l The Marketing Academy Scholar 2015 l ex Senior Marketer - Foxtel, NBCU, SBS, Seven, ABC, ARN.
7 年Love this article Sean Hall ?? applying it now!
Strategic Leader in Partnerships, Marketing, and Community Building | Championing Purpose-Driven Brands
7 年Great tips Sean!