Authentically U, LLC: AUPA Tip Tuesday

Here we go again! It's that time of year to begin making new year resolutions and setting goals for the upcoming year. If there is one thing I have noticed about the advancements in technology, it is that technology is moving so quickly that we have a hard time keeping up. Social media, blogging, websites, video conferencing, email, and the list goes on and on with things that make our minds race a thousand miles a minute.

Well, I don't have the cure for all of that but the first thing I want to share with you in 2012 is that when all of these things make your head spin, the best thing to do is slow down and regroup. As you have been able to see with this blog, 2011 got us so caught up in other things that we let it fall off. No Tip Tuesdays or Facebook Fridays, no pictures or updates, hellos and mentioned accomplishments........ We almost let our blog die....

But the good news is, we have survived another year in business and therefore, have another opportunity to slow down and regroup. We call it the SDR method!

Here are pointers on how to make the SDR method successful:

Literally, slow down physically. When the body is in a state of rest, the mind has a better chance of following suit. You can pretend to be able to focus and multi-task but studies show that while multi-tasking may work for some things, the majority of ones work is compromised when you are doing a million things at once. And if your body is doing multiple things at one time, you can bet that your mind is also not able to stop and focus. Consider a moment of silence in your day or some time for meditation during your week. Slowing the body down and helping it to relax on occasion can surely boost your productivity and effectiveness.
Set small goals. It is important to eat the elephant one bite at a time. Remember that everything does not have to be done all at once and taking steps is a much better way to get things accomplished than trying to jump all the way to the top in one leap. Not only is it exhausting but most times it's not as effective. It's great to always be able to see the end result and have an overall goal but remembering to make small advancements gives you room for 'trial and error' and also gives you encouragement while making small triumphs in your plan.

Reevaluate your goal and plan of execution. Sometimes things change. That is just a fact of life. Additionally, it is a fact of business that is more constant that we realize. When things change, we have to change with it. That does not mean that you will overhaul every aspect of your life or business every chance you get but it does mean to think critically about your environment and how you plan to move forward it in. If new ideas arise from that critical thinking process then figure out how to implement those. If things are going well the way they are, continue them and don't change them until you have to. Practice balance in your efforts to reevaluate and weigh the pros and cons of each aspect of your life/business.