Tag Archives: goal setting

What you do first thing in the morning matters

Posted on October 25, 2012 by | 5 Comments

Quick. Think back to early this morning.

What was the first thing you did? Hit the snooze button? Check work email on your phone? Creep on facebook?

Let’s try to switch up some habits, and incorporate new, healthy ones. I’m totally guilty for grabbing my iPhone from the bedside table and checking the weather app etc. Next thing I know I’m checking email, reading the news etc. I’ve got to stop this habit as it is eating into some precious time. And really, am I better for it when I check stuff online on my phone from the comfort of my bed – when I could be doing that during my commute to the office?

I should just get up, and get started on my day in a healthy way. After all, I seemed to get by several years ago when I didn’t own a smart phone.

The choices we make regarding our daily routines can define
our state of mind and focus for the rest of the day. Why not get a jump-start on our day by focusing on morning rituals that will provide us with balance, improved health, focus and self-discipline.

They say the best way to rid of a bad habit is to replace it with a good habit.  No matter your morning routine, here are a few habits that would add benefits to your day:

meditate – reduced stress, improved job performance, improved relationships. These are just a fraction of benefits one can attain from meditation. Even if you just give yourself 1 or 2 minutes of silence and focus, that’s a start.

stretch – actively stretch in the morning to loosen muscles, increase circulation, increase balance and coordination, attain better posture and boost your mood.

smile - A study in England revels that  a warm smile can create a “halo” effect, helping us “feel more optimistic, more positive, and more motivated.”

hydrate – drink a tall glass of water before you eat or drink anything else. Even better, add lemon to reap the many benefits that lemon juice provides including vitamin C, aiding digestion, and fight hunger cravings

When we start the day off right, it’s easier to make the best choices for ourselves the rest of the day.

photo: klarrej.tumblr.com

→ 5 Comments

Posted in Inspiration

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Perseverance

Posted on August 9, 2012 by | 1 Comment

The Olympics produce a lot of great stories of inspiration.  I’ll never forget the moment in Barcelona 20 years ago when British athlete Derek Redmond tore his hamstring during the 400 metre semi-finals. Not willing to give up, determined to finish the race, he continued.  His father broke through security to help Derek complete the race. Even in undoubtedly one of his son’s most difficult moments, he was there to give strength and support him, along with a standing ovation of over 65,000 fans.

This is the Olympic spirit that we love.

.

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Inspiration

Tagged , , , , , ,

New Year’s Resolutions. It’s about your career too.

Posted on December 22, 2011 by | 4 Comments

“You hit a goal, you achieve a goal. You keep a resolution”.                                ~ Gretchen Rubin

I decided to ask some people in my network if they had any New Years Career Resolutions. I got off to a great start. One woman admitted that she would love to see her coworkers deal with their customers in a more empathetic and positive way, especially since the company she works for is purely customer services orientated. I found her answer to be genuinely concerned for how some of her coworkers were dealing with customers and in turn making her work environment not a very fun one.

A couple of people admitted that they would like to look for a new or more challenging role in 2012. Others felt that they had hit the well-known ceiling and were at a crossroads with whether or not they should stay or move on from their current companies.  Two people said that they would like to further their education and be more challenged in their work. Then I got an answer that made me realize this whole “New Years Resolution” thing is a bit silly! My close friend Paul said, “New years resolutions are easy enough to make, but it is the actual implementation that differentiates the highly motivated from the somewhat motivated.” This comment jolted me a bit and made me question why do we feel we need to make promises to ourselves just because it’s a new year? I am sure most people can admit they never follow through with these promises, and most of them probably quickly conjure up some cliché answer when asked. Do you ever hear anyone ask,  “Hey, what’s your resolution for April?” Of course you don’t. People have this tendency to think: New Year, new start. What I am asking here is why?

Be the highly motivated and make your goals year round. Write out your goals and stick it on your wall or in your bedside table and look at it nightly. Remind yourself of where you want to be and want you want to achieve and start taking the right steps. Don’t give some fluffy answer because everyone and their dog are asking you “What’s your New Years resolution?” How about next time you’re asked say, “To make a new goal for every month and actually achieve it.” Let’s get serious here and make our own successes with actual steps to get us there.

For example,  to the woman who wants to see more positivity and empathy coming from some of her coworkers, I propose she initiates the change by being extra positive herself and setting a clear example for the rest of her team. Exude the fantastic customer service energy and hope some jump on the train. Or become a good listener to those who are negative and help them clarify their issues and perhaps provide good insight of how she handles difficult customers while remaining empathetic and helpful. These would be great steps to implement – and it means actually following through with your goal.

I completely appreciate my peers’ answers and honestly believe every single one of them will achieve their career goals. It just got me thinking about how many things I would like to achieve for 2012 and if I will actually do it.  Being honest with myself I can say that previous “resolutions” were not fulfilled and I am tired of it! I am now going to make goals for myself every time I think of something I want, and that’s not just for my career, it’s for my health, personal life, and anything else I want. And I will tenaciously take the needed steps. Saying it is easy… it’s the doing that’s hard.

→ 4 Comments

Posted in Inspiration

Tagged , , , , , ,

30 day challenge – the follow up

Posted on December 9, 2011 by | 1 Comment

I asked a few people who participated in a 30 day challenge recently to provide some feedback on their experience. Interesting what we can learn from our personal goals, and what a hold they can have on us.

Sharon – I really enjoyed taking on this 30 day challenge! Working out daily made my body and soul more energetic and positive. It was also really fun and rewarding to accomplish this challenge with like minded friends…the no drinking for 30 days, however wasn’t the greatest because there were days when I would have enjoyed a glass of wine or two. I realized I wasn’t trying to break a habit of drinking as it wasn’t consuming my life so as I embark the coming month of December, I have given myself another 30 day challenge in making good habits:

-        Spend 30 minutes min each day with some kind of self development and learning ie. Reading business book, daily paper, studying for recruiter courses!
-        Drink 6 glasses of water per day

Laura – I could drink coffee all day, but water? – I don’t drink nearly enough. Water is so important to good health so for my 30 day challenge I decided to drink 1.5 litres of water a day. Most days I drank at least 1.5 litres a day, if not more, but I have to admit that some days I got pulled back into old habits and drank less than 1.5 litres. My 30 days of water drinking were mostly successful (even including the small missteps) as even on the days when I didn’t quite meet my goals I was still drinking more water than I would have was I not consciously engaging in the challenge. I will definitely challenge myself again!

Matt – I accepted the 30 day challenge on a whim. I’ve never done one before so thought “why not.” I accepted my challenge in theory – I liked the idea. And an idea is what it remained. I lasted 3 days before it was out of mind for the rest of the period. It reminded me of the ‘best practices’ of goal setting that I didn’t use – I didn’t write it down and give myself a deadline; I didn’t ask for help or someone to check in with me to see how my progress was going; I didn’t keep a physical reminder near my desk to cue me to do something. This challenge reminded me that an idea will stay an idea until I turn it into a goal. Lessons learned for my next 30 day challenge!

Alana - My 30 Day Challenge was an interesting exploration of habit-making activity. In an effort to make it stick, I made a cup of green tea each morning and brought a pre-sorted bottle of vitamins with me to work.  I was really good and didn’t miss a day for 2.5 weeks until I ran out of green tea and one of my vitamins.  I missed a couple days of green tea, then a couple vitamins on various days. The interesting part was how I wasn’t as motivated to continue my activity after a slip up.  I learned that if I try any diet, exercise or new habit, I need to be routine on not only administering the activity, but also making sure I am ready with supplies.  Starting on Dec 1, I started a new routine to try – making my lunch every weekday so I don’t buy lunch.  Both Sundays I have gone out to purchase the necessary groceries  then chopped and cooked enough for the whole week.  That way, it is easy each morning to just pack the food into a Tupperware and bring it with me.  Also, in case I accidently run low on supplies, I have a backup of a few soups in my cupboard so I stay on track. Hopefully I can use my 30 day challenge experience as a learning point instead of a failure. :)

Jessica – I reached for my business book every night – except for the occasional night when I didn’t read at all because my eyes were just so tired from the day, that I had to go straight to bed.
I did manage to plough through my book way more than I normally would have. Glad I did the challenge. I will continue with my reading – see, the habit already worked!
Now I want to pick up another good habit. Maybe I’ll drink green tea every day, just like Alana did. That would be a good place to start.

What I think we all learned from this challenge, is to keep yourself accountable to attain your goals, and if you miss a couple of days, pick up where you left off, and eventually, the habit could start to stick again.

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Inspiration

Tagged , , ,

30 Day Challenge

Posted on October 28, 2011 by | 10 Comments

The yoga studio I am currently practicing at is doing a 30 day yoga challenge. Although this is not a new concept, it is worth visiting, as it could provide inspiration to try another 30 day challenge whether it be yoga, or whether it be giving up caffeine.

Why 30 days? 30 days is the threshold to make or break a habit. Stephen Covey famously said that it takes 21 days to create a habit. Some of us need longer – so let’s just round it up to 30. A 30 day challenge allows you to take baby steps to achieve your goals.

This 3 minute TED video spells it out clearly. I don’t think I could give up sugar for 30 days like Matt Cutts did, or chocolate for that matter.

Think of something you’ve always wanted to try. Make those small changes, see your self confidence grow, and achieve your goals. You can even sign up at 43 Things and find others with similar goals and cheer each other on with encouragement. The #21 All-time Most Popular goal on the site is “get a job”. There are others like ‘lose weight’, ‘stop procrastinating’ and ‘drink more water’.

So, the question is, what will your 30 day challenge be?  Feel free to share in the comments below.

~ Jessica Rozitis

→ 10 Comments

Posted in Inspiration

Tagged , , , , , ,

Don’t hide behind email

Posted on January 20, 2011 by | 137 Comments

Many years ago, my grandmother asked me to explain “email” to her. Some of her younger friends were pestering her to get an email account so she could receive info about group meetings, bingo nights, etc. I dutifully explained to her that email was short for electronic mail and is a quick, easy, efficient way to send and receive messages. It was used for both work and personal messages. I boastfully bragged that I could sit at my desk all day long and not have to engage anyone face to face or on the phone. It was great! “Hmmmmmmmm,” she muttered, “sounds kind of lonely to me.” Whatever, I thought to myself.

Fast forward ten years and I have a resolution for 2011. No, I am not giving up on email or even reducing my use of it. My resolution is: I will try my best to avoid using email if I have to communicate disappointing or bad news to a client, prospect, candidate, colleague, or business partner. I will have the courage to pick up the phone or engage the person face to face. Why this resolution? Because I have been on the receiving end of these types of emails and not only am I sad about the communicated news, but I find myself disappointed that the person is hiding behind the non-confrontational nature of email. I may have some follow-up questions, I may want to express my frustration, I may want to ask why or how questions.

I realize my resolution is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to some of the negative aspects regarding our society’s ubiquitous use of technology; but it’s one small thing that irritates me and I want to change my behavior. I’m curious, do you sometimes hide behind email when you have to deliver bad news?

Happy New Year!

P.S. My other resolution for 2011 is to use more idioms in my daily interactions. Some of my favorites include: dime a dozen, sink a battleship, swing a dead cat, a blessing in disguise, blue moon, long in the tooth, pass the buck, slow as molasses in January, and three sheets to the wind.


→ 137 Comments

Posted in engagement

Tagged , , , , ,

Reflections

Posted on December 31, 2010 by | 3 Comments

It’s that time of the year when my mind starts to wander through the past activities and events in my life over the past 365 days. This ‘free-form’ thinking is a welcome break from routine. And while routines are often extremely important to setting pace in one’s personal and business life, these ‘wandering’ moments can be soulful and provide the catalyst for the next wave of energy and focus.

Guy Borgford’s blog post, Is Your Company Fearless, got me thinking about new year’s resolutions for 2011. Fear it seems, is what sets great companies apart. It is in being fearless then, where things seem to take flight.

Two iconic companies come to mind, Facebook and Google. While both have certainly changed my life, it is the mark of their tremendous corporate cultures that struck me.

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook once said, ‘it’s about being unafraid to break things in order to make them better.’

David Glazer, Engineering Director of Google calls it keeping the ‘cheese in motion’. Having recently reread Spencer Johnson’s book ‘Who moved my Cheese’, this statement made sense. Change happens. The more you are in your groove prepared for change the more you will adapt. And what two better companies to prove this point than Facebook and Google.

Time for resolutions on becoming more fearless in our lives and in our businesses.

~ Sarah McNeill

→ 3 Comments

Posted in corporate culture, Leadership and Team Building

Tagged , , , ,

Recharging your batteries

Posted on August 4, 2010 by | 2 Comments

It’s the middle of summer. It’s the time of the year when a lot of people take the opportunity of the nice summer weather and get away.

This is a such great time to recharge your batteries. Get out in the fresh air, enjoy some recreation, read a few books, BBQ with some friends, and just relax in general. And if you’re in the office this week, this is also a great time to recharge your batteries in the office setting, maybe even take a business associate out for a patio lunch to reacquaint yourselves now that a free moment has presented itself.

In some ways this time of year reminds me of winter holidays and a time for reflection and relaxation. And so much like winter holidays, taking advantage of this quieter time of year can really have some upsides. Now is the time to concentrate on some unfinished projects, spend some time writing down your goals, or catch up on your business reading. In fact one of my good business friends takes a week off around this time of year to spend time alone doing just that.

Whatever your situation, make the most of this quiet time. Make every moment count. Next thing you know, things will get busier, so now is the time to recharge.

Jessica Rozitis

photo credit:  Dominik Schwind

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Your Pipeline

Tagged , , , ,

The World is Waiting for You

Posted on February 10, 2010 by | Leave a comment

I believe the time is right now. Stand tall and make the world proud.

In this exciting time leading up to the Vancouver Winter Olympics, there is a certain buzz about town – traffic will be crazy, visitors will flock by the 1000′s and most importantly, dreams will come true! All the dreams that were once sparked by a goal and the question of “What if I could…”

At Lululemon, we are maniacal about goal setting. Within your first week, you will develop your own amazing hedgehog and set 1, 5 and 10 year goals. Your goals are broken down into categories of Career, Health and Personal with by-when dates of when they will be achieved. Some of these may be BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) and some may feel totally achievable – either way – they are written down and plastered (literally!) around the halls and on the walls of the office. That way everyone else knows what you are trying to accomplish and can help you get there! (Chip’s goal: to do the Grouse Grind the same number of times in a year as his age!)

This has inspired a culture of attracting high performing, goal oriented, boundary-pushers who care about their health and see the glass ¾ full! Kind of like the Olympics, it creates a buzz about the office, daily. Because every day is a day a goal can be achieved and we are all one step closer to realizing the dream!

Wanna lead like Lululemon? Get your egos outta the way – and get every employee to start drafting their goals! Organizations don’t need more people. Organizations need people who will come alive! Help your people come alive and they will contribute in ways you’d never have dreamed of. (And then you might need to hire more people as you will have inspired some to go off and pursue their goals. Isn’t that awesome? Bonus: they will leave as your biggest raving fans!)

The time is right now. Set goals. Take yourself on. The world is waiting for you!

(A great clip brought to you by Matt Corker, Champion of Community @ NoMoSolo and Olympic Volunteer extraordinaire!)

Go Canada Go!

This guest post was written by:   Stephanie Corker Irwin

Stephanie Corker Irwin is the Head of Recruitment at Lululemon athletica. When she is not in downward facing dog, she is a keen triathlete and a buzzing entrepreneur with the launch of her first business: NoMoSolo, coming to Vancouver March 24th.  (Yep, it was on her goals!)

→ Leave a comment

Posted in corporate culture, Inspiration, Leadership and Team Building

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Total Engagement

Posted on February 19, 2009 by | 1 Comment

Talk about a totally focused and engaged team! Clarity around a major goal truly does unite a team. And we quite like this example. Real employees having more fun than they could ever have imagined in a work setting. And how cool is that!  We might have to go back to the drawing board on our fun factor around initiatives!

Patrick Lencioni, author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, states ‘if you could get all the people in a company rowing in the same direction, you could dominate in any industry, in any market, against any competition, at any time.’

What are you doing with your company to be 100% engaged and united on a common goal?

→ 1 Comment

Posted in corporate culture, engagement, Leadership and Team Building, Your Pipeline

Tagged , , , , , ,