It’s a new year. Yesterday a colleague of mine asked me until when was it appropriate to wish others a happy new year? My answer was (tongue in cheek) “Well if it’s the first time you’re seeing them since the holidays you can basically wish them, unless of course it’s June.”

In one way it’s a joke and in others, time seems to be flying by so quickly that before we know it, it will be June! I’m still receiving happy holiday wishes in emails. People are so busy they just haven’t gotten around to it.

I’ve never experienced such scattered chaos as I have this year. Clients and colleagues are scrambling to get into the flow of work after holiday breaks and catch up and it’s only the first week or so of January.

So it’s time to get a handle on things and if you want to take back control of your days, well, your life really, here are some tips to get you going:

• Have you designed environments that support you in every way so you have everything and everyone you need to move, evolve, grow and sustain you?


• Do you want to expend energy on reacting to everything that’s thrown at you or choose how you do things? If you’re going to spend time on something or someone, which is a very precious commodity (and remember our energy lessens as we get older, so no time like the present to figure this out for yourself) then make choices that are worthwhile. That’s one of my key intentions to pay attention to this year.


• Eliminate delay. That’s probably the best habit you can adopt. You won’t be wasting half as much time so you won’t have to play catch-up either.


• Get out of your own way. One of my quotes is “People become who they might be when they let go of who they are”. If you’re holding onto a way of being that isn’t serving you, then let go of it. Plus you’re not who you were 10 years ago. (If you are, that’s a whole other conversation).


• If you’re going to do the setting your goals thing, then make sure they’re really worthwhile. Setting goals for the sake of it, because someone tells you you should or because you think it’s a smart thing to do isn’t a reason to set them, because you probably won’t accomplish them. If they’re “should” goals, you’ll have an internal tug of war dealing with why you’re not accomplishing them. Only set them if you’re really passionate about what you’ll get, achieve, feel etc if you succeed. Make them so tangible you can reach out and touch them.


• Get rid of old baggage. The only person who’ll feel the weight of it is you and is that what you really want? Martyrdom has never been attractive.


• Don’t change your behaviour. Grow into your talents and excellence and hang out with people who’ll help you get there.


• Are you waiting for the ‘perfect’ time? There isn’t a perfect time other than now.

My three cents

Donna Karlin • Executive and Political Shadow Coach [1]™ • Ottawa, Canada • •www.abetterperspective.com [2]