5 Ways to Change Your Life Today

Need to make some changes?

Here are five suggestions to make a difference in your life:

Attribution: Wikimedia Commons

1. Move

Do something!  Activity can improve your professional and personal life.  Exercise, sports, yard work, house work or any other hobby that gets you out of the chair at the office and out of the couch at home will make you healthier and more productive.  Improving your cardiovascular endurance can help you get more done at work as well.  Ideally, choose an activity that is healthy and gives your life meaning.

2. Read

Reading makes for more effective leading.  Be the learning leader.  Stay up to date in your field.  Set a goal to read a book, magazine, or journal a month.  In a year, you likely would have read more than most of your peers. Knowledge can definitely become a competitive advantage when applied.

3. Reflect

Reflect on your goals and decisions thus far.  Decide if you need to act or make changes.  Often this requires eliminating distractions and focusing during quiet times.  Pick a time for regular reflection.  You can combine reflection time with other activities like meditation or yoga if you find them helpful.

4. Ask

You will be surprised what you will receive when you ask.  Be clear and assertive about your needs.  However, connect your needs to organizational goals.  You may not get everything on your wish list, but setting priorities advocating for priority items that will help you accomplish agreed upon goals are important skills to master.

5. Aspire

Setting personal, departmental, and organizational goals is essential for success.  For organizational and departmental goals, start with the organization's strategic plan.  Set goals that are consistent with the mission, vision, values, and goals of the organization.  Set goals that exceed organizational goals so you are more likely to meet organizational goals.  While some may dispute the value of goals, I would suggest focusing on the mission and the goal simultaneously.  Living a mission that provides meaning does make goals less relevant.  Here the focus is on what you want to be and do now rather than what you want to possess or achieve in the future.  Also focus on growth and progress toward the goal instead of just the goal itself.  However, if others are setting goals for your performance, make sure you meet or exceed them.