Tired of your Job…Recharge your batteries…

For most people, a vacation is a really big deal because they are desperate to escape from their regular life. They want to escape from everyone for a while – including their clients. They are stuck in a rut and know of no other escape, except to well…escape.

Top performers know better. They understand how to recharge their batteries and keep enjoying all aspects of their lives while continuing to work and live in the cities and at jobs of their choice.

If you find yourself lacking the energy and the enthusiasm that you once had for your job, if you find yourself craving time away instead of time in front of customer’s then it’s time for a change. Time to recharge and reinvigorate and get your “A” game back:

Here are some ‘best practice’ ideas to help:

1. Quit complaining. I dare you. Just for the day, and then the week. Not a single gripe, complaint, moan, or grumble. Yes it’s hard for most people. What a change of attitude and fortune you will find yourself in as a result!
2. Give up something destructive. Successful people have a “not to do list”. That is a list of those things I am not to do anymore if I want to be a success. For years, this has meant for me, not watching or listening to the news first thing in the morning. It serves you no purpose to find out who was murdered, robbed or ripped off last night. It’s just a plain depressing way to start the day. I do watch the local business and entertainment news because that is relevant to my own business success. No one can afford to get demotivated during the work week. TV – at the national average of 2-3 hours per day is not only a time waster but a demotivator. Turn it off.
3. Turn of the TV and turn on to a book. Wondering what to do if you are not going to watch thoes soap operas? Check out…what’s on top of the reading lists in the business magazines. I personally like books on start-ups and self help books. Don’t just read the book, own the book. Read it, underline it, apply it, talk to others about it and practice it. Reading will inspire you with new ideas, new approaches, and new challenges. We are all readers at CellStrat. We are all bettering ourselves, everyday. We are not happy with the status quo we know we can change.
4. Switch up your schedule. You can be a morning person or an evening person but if you are stuck in a rut and complaining for a change maybe you need to mix things up. After a good sleep, most people find that morning is when the clearest ideas pop into your head but if you are stagnant try going for an evening walk this week by yourself and let your mind wanders. You will soon find solutions to some of your most disturbing problems.
5. Speaking of sleep. You will feel hopeless and resist change if you are operating in a sleep deficit. Some people  keep a notebook and a pen on their bedside table for 2 reasons One, before they go to sleep at night, they write down the things on their mind. They empty their brain so they don’t wake up in the night thinking “I feel like have forgotten something and I don’t know what it is”. Two, they write everything they are thankful for that day. All their successes no matter how small. Sometimes those successes are trivial; “choose the salad instead of the fries”, “called their parents”. Sometimes they are significant; “Closed a record month!” Everyday, there are successes and the combination of these two pre-bedtime activities results in a peaceful sleep and a morning full of fresh ideas.
6. Take up a hobby. Your community college, community centre, or other private institutions all have adult learning classes that you can take to improve your skill set and your attitude. Don’t have a hobby to embrace – try Toastmasters™. I still maintain its one of the best and most relevant professional educations for sales people. Take a class in anything that will provide you with new knowledge and inspire you to be a better person. Learn to groom a dog, take pottery, hockey, or study a new language. Sadly 80% of sales people spend less than $20 per year of their own money on their own development. Be top of class. Invest in yourself. Are you a sales professional? How about taking a professional buying/purchasing course. Learn to speed read. As a bonus, you might even meet new people, who may become potential new prospects. Try something completely different to challenge yourself, one year for me it was guitar lessons. I am planning to enroll in dance classes and get back into social scene. For some real fun, learn how to ride a motorcycle next summer. Now THAT is freedom!

Change and growth is not a process – it’s a mindset and sometimes it takes time to get back on track. The opportunity is there for you to accomplish more this year than last. Your job is to take advantage of it. You can complain about your position, moan about your condition, or you can do something about it. Now. Your priority is to start with the right change and keep with it so that the rewards will start flowing.

(Excerpts from writings of Colleen Francis)