More or less? How team members can make changes and stay motivated in 2022
/
Here we are well and truly into the beginning of 2022 stepping out of a couple of years that brought with them a mixed bag of feelings, lots of changes, challenges and time to recognise what we truly want to spend our time doing.
The beginning of a new year often stirs up the desire, or feeling of obligation to make changes. Instead of sitting back and reflecting on the time that has passed and celebrating our wins from the previous year, we jump forward and think of everything we could and should be doing better.
While long-term goals can keep us focused, motivated and hold us accountable, for many people they add pressure and a sense of overwhelm as more ‘to-dos’ get added to their days and they have the feeling of endlessly falling short. When we set goals on a whim, they can ask a lot of us and instead of breaking them down into smaller steps, we go hard to achieve the end goal and completely miss the process.
A way to welcome in more of what you do want to do, crowd out what you would like to do less of and stay motivated, is to take a mindful approach to your days by setting small intentions each day.
To do this, each morning state one thing you are going to do more of, and one thing you are going to do less of. You might do this before you get out of bed, as you are getting ready, or on your way to work. What you choose to do more and less of can be to benefit your physical, mental and/or emotional wellbeing and may have a personal or professional focus.
Two simple examples are that you might choose to drink more water throughout the day and you may choose to spend less time in front of screens by having a tech-free lunch-break.
Try not to fall into the trap of comparing what you want to focus on with what others are choosing to do. When you fall into the comparison trap you can quickly lose sight of what matters the most to you and live out your days in alignment with other people’s values and priorities instead of your own.
If you need reminders of your intentions throughout the day, you can write them on a post-it and have them close by or set a reminder on your phone or in your calendar.
We hope 2022 is a bright one for you, that it is filled with the people and things you love the most and that you fill your days with more of what helps you feel your best.
