August in the office is a funky time. People are in and out, the pace is a whole lot slower than normal, and meetings are often pushed off due to people’s unpredictable travel schedules. Don’t beat yourself up over this less productive time in the office.
Instead, make the most of these last few weeks of summer with these tips:
1) Get organized. Remember those back to school shopping trips you took as a kid? There was nothing more satisfying than having brand new color coordinated notebooks, labels for your three ring binders, and a new pencil sharpener. This concept applies to the workplace, too. Reevaluate your note taking system, clean up your calendar, and sort your desktop folders by name. You’ll walk into the season with a clear path to accomplish your goals.
2) Be intentional about what you want to accomplish. What is realistic for you to achieve in the next quarter? Now is the perfect time to reflect on what you have already achieved this year, and what else you would like to accomplish by year-end. Look back on the goals you set at the beginning of the year and be honest about what has, and hasn’t, worked well. You may also want to include your manager and/or team in this conversation, as they’ll be able to coach you through tough obstacles and hold you accountable to actually getting things done.
3) Create an action plan. Create an action plan which starts with small changes. Since you’re coming off a slower season, it will take a few weeks to get back into the swing of things. By starting small, the taskmaster in you will feel accomplished which will propel you to take on the larger goals in front of you. The key to the action plan, though, is to start thinking about it now so you can hit the ground running when September arrives.
4) Embrace it. The saying “slow down to speed up” holds true. Give yourself permission to leave the office early, take some vacation time, or indulge in that final ice cream cone. It’s all in service to you doing your best work and walking into fall with energy and focus.
How do you plan to gear up for Fall? How do you plan to use the last few weeks of summer to set you up for success? Leave comments below!
ZogCulture supports organizations by increasing morale and collaboration, and enhances the employee experience by creating connections and camaraderie. We offer Field Days and Company events, In-Office Programming, and Private Tournaments. Learn more by visiting our site or email Danny@ZogSports.com to inquire about bringing Zog to your office.