Category Archives: Goals
August 4, 2021 Schedule Time To Do Nothing (seriously)
Many of us live packed-to-the-gills lives. We bustle around to work, soccer practice, meetings, and doctor appointments. We do our best to keep our homes clean and our appliances in working order while trying to juggle careers and families. On average, Americans are 400% more productive today than they were in 1950…and our salaries are not keeping pace.
Amid all the hustle and bustle, it’s important to squeeze one more thing into your schedule: “Do Nothing” Time.
If scheduling in swaths of free time sounds radical or even absurd, hear me out. Those periods between your commitments—the times when you allow yourself to simple sit and think and be—are incredibly important for creativity and future productivity. These are times when you can let your mind wander to wherever it wants to go. You are free to recuperate from the constant barrage of activities and de-stress.
If sitting around doing nothing seems uncomfortable or awkward at first, that’s okay! If you’re used to constant activity, it can be a little strange to suddenly step away from it all. To transition into your “do nothing” time, you may want to start slowly. Find a quiet spot and jot down your thoughts in a notebook. Go on a walk and take in your surroundings. As long as you’re not bombarding yourself with media (phones on airplane mode!), that’s a good start.
If you’re still not convinced that “do nothing” time can help generate creativity or replenish your tank, look no further than some of the greatest thinker and inventors in the past century: Albert Einstein and Steve Jobs. Both of these highly influential, bright men were adamant about creating down time for themselves. Einstein enjoyed riding his bicycle through the countryside, and many of his most profound thoughts happened while perched on the seat of a bike. He simply needed the time and space to let his mind meander to wherever it wanted to go.
Next time you pull up your calendar, commit to scheduling in a little “do nothing” time. You might choose to pencil in a little time each morning, or a few hour-long chunks during the week. Even a half-hour is good start. By taking the time to simply be, you are not only giving yourself a gift, but also aiding your future productivity and creativity. In the end, you’re really not doing “nothing.” You’re investing in the future.
Looking for a job change? Or, hoping to accelerate your current career? Check out the career resources (both FREE and paid) on my website!
MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, AUTHOR, INSIGHTS® DISCOVERY (AND DEEPER DISCOVERY) LICENSED PRACTITIONER, AND FOUNDER OF UXL. SHE HOSTS WORKSHOPS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED CAREER OR PERSONAL GUIDANCE.
CHECK OUT MARGARET’S ONLINE LEADERSHIP COURSE.
Tags: Einstein and relaxation, margaret smith career coach, margaret smith leadership, relax for productivity, schedule relaxation time, Steve Jobs and down time
- Leave a comment
- Posted under Changing Your Life, Goals
July 21, 2021 An Unexpected Benefit of Giving Advice
We all know that giving advice can help others. You might offer valuable guidance that helps someone through a sticky problem, or you might provide a sought-after opinion. But, did you know that giving advice can actually benefit YOU as well?
Katy Milkman, a professor at the Wharton School of Management and the author of How To Change, has studied advice-giving and discovered that the advice-giver can reap as many benefits as the advice-receiver. The parameters are specific, though. You must give someone advice on the SAME goal or aspiration that YOU are trying to achieve.
Trying to write a book? Tell someone else how to go about doing it.
Trying to lose weight? Give someone advice on an exercise and diet regime.
Want to save more money each month? Advise someone else on how to tuck away those extra dollars.
By giving others advice on the very thing you want to accomplish, you’re building up your confidence, solidifying your ideas by bouncing them off others, and keeping this specific goal top of mind. Milkman also says that once we advise others on a specific objective, we want to “want the talk” and make the goal happen, since it would be hypocritical if we did not.
I have talked quite a bit about goal-setting on this blog, and I DO believe there is more to accomplishing goals than simply talking about them or giving advice, but still, this is an interesting piece of insight. By talking out your goals, you keep them top-of-mind and you (either subconsciously or consciously) are continuously problem-solving around them.
So, keep talking and keep giving advice! Here’s a video of Katy Milkman talking with Daniel Pink about advice giving:
MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, AUTHOR, INSIGHTS® DISCOVERY (AND DEEPER DISCOVERY) LICENSED PRACTITIONER, AND FOUNDER OF UXL. SHE HOSTS WORKSHOPS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED CAREER OR PERSONAL GUIDANCE.
CHECK OUT MARGARET’S ONLINE LEADERSHIP COURSE.
Tags: benefit of giving advice, daniel pink, goals and advice, katy milkman, Margaret Smith life coach, Margaret Smith professional speaker, milkman advice giving, unexpected benefit give advice
- Leave a comment
- Posted under Advice from a Life Coach, Communication, Goals
June 30, 2021 6 Ideas for Creating New Habits
“If you’re trying to break a habit, don’t say ‘this is the last time I’m doing it’ to yourself. Instead, say ‘this is the first time I’m NOT doing it.”
-Unknown
Many of us have had to adjust to new ways of living, working, and existing during the recent pandemic. Now, people are slowly returning to work, and children are either back in school or poised to return this coming fall. With so many things in flux, we’ve had to adapt to and create new routines and habits.
Whether you’re adjusting to life changes OR trying to buck an old habit, I have a few different tips for doing so. Feel free to experiment and do what works best for YOU and your situation. And remember: developing a new habit takes time and patience. You’ve got this.
1. Enlist an Accountability Partner/Role Model
Telling one or more people about your goal is a powerful action for developing new habits. Not only can that person/people act as support, they can also apply a little bit of healthy peer pressure. If you cheat on a goal, what will your accountability partner/role model think??
You may also consider having regular check-ins with your accountability partner to keep you on track. Don’t forget to thank your partner in some way OR offer to return the favor if they are also seeking to develop a new habit.
2. Act Daily
It’s crucial to be consistent when developing a new habit. Make a commitment to act every day to help your new habit stick.
3. Keep a Calendar
Buy an old-fashioned paper calendar and make a mark on it (or apply a sticker!) every time you practice your new habit. A calendar is a great visual reminder of everything you’ve achieved and it can help keep your habit top-of-mind.
4. Be Kind to Yourself
You may not be a natural at keeping up your habit at first. Whether you’re attempting to quit smoking, going to the gym every morning, or committing to reading more books, the early stages of your habit might not come easily. Be gentle with yourself and understand that things WILL get easier as you go along.
5. Visualize
Visualization is a technique used by professional athletes and entrepreneurs alike. There are neurological reasons for visualizing your success. Your brain begins to recognize pathways to success and sees success as the norm. Take the time to envision yourself participating in your new habit and thriving.
6. Reward Yourself!
There’s nothing wrong with bribing yourself to achieve your goals! Set a few incremental milestones on your calendar (one successful week, month, six weeks) and reward yourself when you reach those milestones. You might treat yourself to a dessert, go out for a nice dinner, or take a mini vacation (an outing at a lake, perhaps, or an extended weekend trip). Do whatever you’d like, as long as the rewards match the achievements.
Creating a new habit can be difficult at first, but with time, commitment, patience, and faith in yourself, you can do just about anything. If you’re aspiring to a career-related habit and want to talk, I’m here. Best of luck with developing your new habit!
MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, AUTHOR, INSIGHTS® DISCOVERY (AND DEEPER DISCOVERY) LICENSED PRACTITIONER, AND FOUNDER OF UXL. SHE HOSTS WORKSHOPS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED CAREER OR PERSONAL GUIDANCE.
CHECK OUT MARGARET’S ONLINE LEADERSHIP COURSE.
Tags: creating new habits, developing new habits, how to create new habits, ideas for habit forming, Margaret Smith business coach, Margaret Smith life coach
- Leave a comment
- Posted under Changing Your Life, Goals
UXL Blog 