SheMentor

This time of year, many of you are busy preparing children to go “back to school” – that time-honored tradition of buying brand-new spiral notebooks, crisp blue-lined loose-leaf paper, and #2 pencils.  I used to absolutely LOVE this time of year, when everything you needed to use on a daily basis was brand-new, and your education slate was wiped clean, the promise of a brand-new years’ possibilities fresh on your mind.  So even though I’m a grown-up now and haven’t been in school for close to 18 years, this time of year still makes me wistful and nostalgic for the smell of paste and the texture of a nice pink rubber eraser!

I still believe you can keep the magic alive of this fresh, crisp time of new beginnings – even if you are a grown-up.  Here are some things you should consider looking into, to help you keep the spirit of a new fall season alive, even as an adult:

1.      Make sure you go ahead and invest in some fancy back to school “school supplies” to spruce up your office.  Old, plain manila folders are a thing of the past.  Invest in some bright colorful file folders and redo your filing cabinet with panache.  Or, pick up some trendy journals and notebooks to add a little spice to your daily work tools.     

2.      When I was a girl, all my school clothes were bought on layaway, to be “rescued” just days before the first day of school.  Having that many new outfits at one time was a heady feeling!  Go out and freshen up your wardrobe – now is the time that all the summer clothing is on sale, and if you live in a relatively warm climate, you’ll be wearing summer-weight clothes through November at least.

3.     Have any new “students” (ok, co-workers) joined your company lately?  Build up your karma points and ask them to lunch – do YOU remember what it felt like to be the new kid?

4.     Take some time to clear out the clutter that has no doubt been accumulating in your office.  Do you have personal items you’ve lugged up to the office but have grown tired of looking at them?  Take ‘em home.  How about unfiled papers, recycle bin paper to be dumped, restocking small items (paper clips, sticky note pads). Taking the time to de-clutter your office can leave you with a real sense of renewal and ready for a fresh start on all your important projects.

5.     Take a look at your morning rituals and adjust if necessary.  Have you gotten a little slack over the summer months?  Re-evaluate your wake time.  Pack your lunch the night before.  Start (or resume) choosing your work outfit the night before.  Little changes in your morning rituals can make you feel more accomplished.

6.     Re-evaluate your work/life “boundaries”.  Are you working so many hours that you don’t even have time to focus on all the extra-curricular activities that fall brings to your life?  Take a look at where you can shave off time from current projects, and re-evaluate that you are working on the right things at the right time.   And, if all else fails, take 2-3 vacation days to use on some Friday’s and get caught up with mundane home activities so that you can really be focused on important stuff during your off-time (like football season!).

Ok, so none of those items are “rocket science” but might just be enough to nudge you into that old feeling of renewal and “fresh starts” that fall used to bring to us as children.  Allowing yourself to participate in the excitement that the “back to school” season brings provides you with a terrific mid-year “gut check” on your work goals and priorities – and might just jar you out of that work rut you’ve been in all summer!

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