Believe In Your New Year’s Resolution
There are many reasons for not accomplishing a New Year’s resolution, but one you may not fully appreciate is a lack of belief in your ability to be successful. You may want and hope to be successful with your goal, but a barely noticeable, negative self-talk script doubting your ability will make your goal elusive. Fight negative self-talk scripts, which you can assume will creep up on you, by practicing affirmations that inoculate you against them. An affirmation is a positive statement that you declare to be true and that you rehearse frequently in a manner that allows it to sink in. Think of affirmations as “software for your brain.” Assertiveness, determination, feeling that success is inevitable, quickly dismissing setbacks, and ignoring others’ negativity are critical skills in achieving any goal. A gut belief in your anticipated success, made possible by affirmations, allows these skills to carry you to the finish line.
Never Too Late to Start Exercising
Middle-aged men waiting for motivation to start an exercise program have some good news—the exercise does not need to be that vigorous or take that long to do a lot of good. And, if you weren’t an exercise dynamo in your 20s or 30s, you haven’t lost ground in preventing heart disease. The key is to start now. Twenty minutes a day is enough to get solid benefits—a 21% reduced risk of heart failure! Inactivity raises your risk 69% for early heart failure. You don’t have to overdo it. The same study also showed that heart-failure risk is higher for those who over-exercise — and the negative returns equaled the risk for those who are inactive! Researchers believed the findings would also apply to women.
Diligent Workers: Meeting Project Deadlines
Tons of books exist on overcoming procrastination, and each one discusses project deadlines. Do you see project deadlines as inescapable irritants of life or challenges to be conquered? To become fearless about deadlines, attack each one immediately by dividing it into pieces, chunks, or mini-goals necessary to complete it. Supercharge your motivation for meeting these mini-goals by giving yourself rewards for each one you complete. Any small treat, small positive experience, or bit of fun will do. Acquire this deadline management skill and you will begin rejecting procrastination as a tool for managing the pain of deadlines.
Be Internal-Customer-Service Savvy
You may be an external-customer-service pro, but are you internal-customer-service savvy? Internal customer service means taking care of those persons or departments in your organization and their needs with high-quality service and assistance. Knowing the key elements of internal customer service will help you so you can deliver the “wow!” factor inside as well as outside your organization. 1) Promptness—think responsiveness, speediness, and moving obstacles to “deliver the goods.” 2) Competency—think showing your professionalism, skills, and completeness. 3) Positivity—think optimistic, affirming, polite, and energetic. 4) Exclusivity—show a your-needs-are-my-sole-concern-right-now attitude. Does it sound like good internal customer service is a prescription for burnout? Just the opposite. These mostly attitude- and belief-driven behaviors can help insulate you, because they produce a reciprocal response from others toward you!
Should You Get Professional Counseling?
Perhaps you’ve thought about getting professional counseling, but until now have dismissed the idea. Yet you’re not making the changes you want in your life. The tipping point for many people is being fed up with feeling stuck. If you’re near that point, one primary obstacle to seeking professional counseling is probably fear. That fear can be greater than the excitement for the changes you desire. Professional counseling is about going to the next level, whatever that is for you. To this end, even high-functioning people seek counseling, not just those with more difficult circumstances, crises, or severe mental health issues. If you’re avoiding professional counseling because you hesitate to change, don’t let trying to do it your way and repeatedly getting the same result become a permanent wall between you and your big dream.
Workplace Safety: Avoiding Falls
The most common cause of fatal construction accidents is falls. More than half of all fatal falls are from only six to 15 feet. OSHA requires you to protect yourself from an accidental fall from as little as four feet! Beyond using fall protection equipment, you can prevent nearly all falls with four key tips: pick up tools so you don’t trip, cover openings so you don’t step in them, don’t use shortcuts that risk injury, and don’t rush the work. Learn more about workplace safety.
Science of To -Do Lists
To-do lists improve productivity, but they can add stress if they multiply on Post-It notes, 3x5 cards, and paper scraps. Avoid flipping through this stuff. Instead, keep one master list. Update it, and transfer undone items to a clean sheet as needed. Supercharge a to-do list with five sections: job, family, friends, leisure, and personal/health. Fit everything into one of these categories. Prioritization will be easier, and you’ll reduce time spent on trivial tasks. Anxiety will lessen as you get more done!
Seeking a Smoking Cessation Program?
Go to: quitnow.net/program
Subscribe to the EAP
Do you have a subscription to receive free EAP publications? If not, now is your opportunity to sign-up and automatically receive EAP publications and wellness information at no cost. Subscribe today.
Important Notices: 1. *Links to external websites are provided as a convenience. The Employee Assistance Program and the Department of Enterprise Services do not endorse the contents, services, or viewpoints found at these external sites.2. Information in FrontLine Employee is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to replace the counsel or advice of a qualified health or legal professional. For further help, questions, or referral to community resources for specific problems or personal concerns, contact the EAP or other qualified professional. Copyright 2013 DFA Publishing & Consulting. All Rights Reserved.