Start tonight to adopt a short, simple habit to improve your workplace culture. Lead by example, as you adopt this habit for yourself first. Others will notice the positive changes around you, and ask what is your secret?
The Ripple Effect
Like a pebble in the pond, one positive action creates a ripple effect affecting the entire body of water. On a small scale, this new habit affects the individual practicing it, then spreads to family and friends. Wherever you rank on the management hierarchy, whoever initiates this habit and shares its success, it will spread throughout the workplace as the culture’s health and productivity improves with practice.
All it takes is the creation of one new positive habit to change our life for the better. Experts agree, if we practice a new action for 30 days in a row, it becomes a habit. This habit benefits the total person: mind, body, spirit—personally and professionally. By extension, this new practice benefits family, friends, and every associate.
The “30 Second Strategy”
The beauty of our biology is our body requires periods of rest between periods of accomplishment. Part of our personal management to insure wellness within during rest, and high energy during work, is to appreciate the shift between the two distinct segments of our daily lives. Whenever time provides the opportunity to change activities from the extremes of work and rest; from the workweek to the weekend, from month to month, year-to-year, that pause provides the opportunity to finish the day with gratitude. Benefit yourself by taking the time to appreciate this day’s efforts and then to anticipate tomorrow’s accomplishments.
The first “15”…
- Prior to closing your eyes, choose to review your accomplishments, actions, events, and all the good things that happened during the day.
- Release regret, this calendar page has turned.
- Focus on the positive experiences: recall the sights, smells, sounds and especially the good feelings associated with them.
- Choose feelings of gratitude and appreciation to drift off to sleep.
It’s in those moments when our physical and spiritual self unites with our mental self in pure pleasure of gratitude and grace. If you focus on the goodness in your life, your positive feelings will lift your spirit and clarify your mind on the excitement of possibilities available to you in the future. It’s an easy transition from giving thanks today to fulfilling our dreams tomorrow.
The next “15”…
- As soon as your eyes open the next day, take another 15 seconds to review your intentions, plans, and yes, goals for the day.
- Envision yourself accomplishing your responsibilities to yourself and others.
- Smile with the vision of your contacts and communications during your professional day.
- When you create this vision, really see it, enjoy it, and anticipate it working out in the best possible way.
We have days like that personally and professionally, and the more we treasure them, the more often they will occur. Ok, some days don’t work out as well. On those days when you didn’t get it all done, or actually any of it done, because of distractions, interruptions, priorities; it’s on those days your feelings will determine the long term effects of your good intentions that stopped short of fulfillment.
On those days, during the 15 seconds before sleep as you mentally review your day, choose to feel happy about those events that did work out well—even if it’s as minor as enjoying a glass of cool, clean water, or smelling some fresh baking bread, or seeing a smile on a child or a stranger. Those simple pleasures will get you through the night of refreshing sleep and allow you to greet the next day with a happy smile of optimism.