Helpful tips to get back into “work mode” after taking some time off.
Have you noticed how getting back into “work mode” after you’ve taken some time off can be surprisingly challenging? Some people even panic a little believing they have lost their mojo for good.
But don’t you worry, you can quickly regain your levels of productivity and focus if you follow these tips:
Prioritise, prioritise, prioritise. – Rather than absorbing yourself in your inbox as your first order of the day, get a pen and paper and write down the most important things that you need to focus on. Once you have a clear action plan based on your top priorities, proceed with relentless focus. As Bruce Lee once professed “The successful warrior is the average man with laser-like focus.”
Check-in with your team. Don’t accept every meeting that you are invited to attend. A better use of your time is to have short and focused meetings with key members of your team to get your relationships back in sync. Your conversations should allow you to confirm your priorities and give you the extra jolt of energy you need to kick-start your return.
Let your intentions rule your day. Ensure that you start your day knowing what you would like to accomplish during that day and that week. Whenever you feel that something is distracting you, go back to the safe harbour of your intention to remind you to stay on course.
Keep taking breaks. Just because you have only now come back from a decent break does not mean that you should neglect taking time off several times a day to recharge yourself. Remember to take 5 to 10-minute breaks every 90 minutes if you want to be operating at your best.
And in the words of the late Steve Jobs, never forget that what you need is “Focus and simplicity…. Once you get there, you can move mountains.”
Always at the service of your wellbeing.
César