5 Tips for Starting Fresh in the Workplace

 

I have always been the person who has tried so hard during the year to continue to better myself. Whether through starting a new system, to changing the way I stay on top of my workload or even just simply getting up on time daily, LOL I am not a morning person. Unfortunately if you’re like me, nothing really would stick. But, as I have been working and growing (well kinda) I have been able to figure out how to start fresh and actually stick to it.

Working in education, we have a winter break that allows me to recharge and reflect on the first half of the school year. This is when I identify how I can better myself at work and even at home. But, I also have found it to be extremely hard, and can revert to my old habits easily. I’ve tried so many ways to start fresh and change my habits over the years but have finally, and I mean FINALLY, found a way to get them to stick.

This time of the year is always the best but also the hardest time, especially in education. We are coming back from winter break ready to hit the ground running, refreshed but, it is the end of the semester, which means; stress. The story of an educator’s life, right? Stress can be something that, at least for me, makes me revert back to old habits because of the comfort.

In the past during January,  I would try to start fresh in every way that I could from starting new systems, grading papers right after I get them, LOL, or even preplanning my lessons a week in advance. You name it I’ve tried it, keyword, TRIED. I could never stick to it, I always fell back on my old habits because I would overwhelm myself. I have realized, now, that trying to do everything at once keeps me doing the same things over and over without getting the outcome I wanted. This year, I am starting fresh at work by being more detailed in my coaching with teachers on classroom management and using my 5 tips bellow to help me stick to it!

Through many trials and errors I have found a few ways to successfully start and STICK to starting fresh at work.

So, if you are like me and are over trying doing the same thing and expecting different results (Y’all what have I been doing?? *insert facepalm emoji*) these 5 tips are for you!

1. Write it down. I find that once it’s written down it becomes real. This year I am writing it on my computer as a part of my background so that every time I open my computer to work, I see it. The more I see it, the more it is on my mind which means for me, I will actually do it. Keeping it somewhere you will see it each day is the constant reminder that is needed to keep me on the path of doing what I say I’ll do.

2. Tell Someone. Along with writing it down, telling another person about your idea helps them help you stay on track.  If you are a teacher your students, the most honest of them all, sometimes too honest, are great people to help you stay true to your word.  My students have always kept me accountable for the things I say or say we’ll do. Also coworkers, with them being there everyday they are perfect to help you meet your goal of starting fresh at work. This year, I will be telling everyone about my goal to start fresh because I am starting a blog, EEK! Obvi because I wrote this and you’re reading it, hopefully.

3. Be Realistic. Before telling someone or writing it down it is important to have the new starting goal be something realistic for YOU. I can recall so many times that I tried to start something at work just because I saw someone else do it. Although, this is a great way to figure out your ideas for goals, it is still important for it to matter to you. Now when I am starting fresh or trying something new, I keep it realistic, something I know that I can get done and not so farfetched that I won’t be able to do it.

4. Keep it Simple. This has always been my weakness, I always seem to pick things to do that are complex and require me to do many things to even get close to completing the task. Where now I have learned that keeping it simple makes just as big of a difference than a complex task. In fact, I find that when I make small simple changes in time I can change something that is a whole very complex.

5. Keep it Fun. Keeping things fresh and fun in the workplace is how you keep burn out from happening. I know that when I am doing things that are not fun, I feel drained and frustrated but when I am doing things that are fun I am energized and refreshed while working. That’s why when starting new things at work I try and change or adapt parts that are fun for me. This way I know that I will continue to do so and not just for the first week of January.

Starting fresh is hard and not easy but with these five tips, I have found some success, and hopefully, you will too. So, here is to starting fresh not only in the month of January but the rest of the year, let’s make it a habit!!!

I would love to hear if you have any tips on starting fresh at your job! Also, where do you work?

Let me know so I can continue to get better with y’all or if you need someone to help you stay accountable! HEHE TIP 2!!!

Honestly Elise