You have a lot on your plate.  You are constantly busy.  But are you making headway on your to-do list – are you really accomplishing your goals?  One of the biggest mistakes that we can make is to equate busy-ness with progress.  The best way to avoid this potentially costly mistake is to identify achievable milestones for daily progress.  Ask yourself, “What things do I need to accomplish today in order to achieve my ultimate goal in a timely fashion?”  Once you have identified those things, make them the day’s priorities.  Discipline yourself to pay full attention to those milestones before you get sidetracked with other daily responsibilities.  By identifying accomplishable tasks and prioritizing appropriately, you will have a method of ensuring progress and ultimate success.

We have all experienced a workplace that is uninspired – where employees are merely working to get the job done so that they can go home and get on with their lives. While no one really wants to work in that type of un-enriching environment, it is sometimes hard to see what a difference one individual can make.

As leaders we can transform our work environment by acting in the following ways to motivate our colleagues:

• Show appreciation. It is human nature to want to contribute and to be appreciated and recognized for the work that you do. Even a simple thank you to a colleague can go a long way.

• Empower others. Trust is a two way street – you must be able to place trust in others before you can ask for theirs in return. Delegating some decision-making authority on an appropriate project can make a colleague feel like a valued member of a team.

• Maintain a positive demeanor at all times. You do not have to be Little Miss Sunshine on a daily basis. However, you cannot engage in the daily water-cooler gripe fest and assume that all of your colleagues will not follow suit. Negative energy breeds negative energy.

• Always exceed professional standards. Maintaining a high performance on a consistent basis provides an excellent role-model for others to emulate.

• Inspire a call to action. Talk about your workplace with your colleagues and ask for their input on how to improve it. You will be pleasantly surprised with the innovative ideas that a united team can generate. Once individuals feel as if they had a hand in creating the idea, they will work diligently to see it through.

Don’t spend another day waiting for someone else to motivate your colleagues. By taking these small steps you can drastically improve your work environment.

I have a little book on my desk called “101 Ways to Have a Great Day at Work.”  It is a simple little book by Stephanie Goddard Davidson that shares some profound quotes and ideas about how to be your best at work.  I look at this book from time to time when I need a little inspiration.  Today was one of those days.

Today I picked up the book, flipped to a random page and found the following quote:

“The happiest people seem to be those who have no particular reason for being so except that they are so.”

- William Ralph Inge

I have to say that I needed that reminder today.  Whatever happens in life, your mood, your state of being, is defined not by the event but by how you react to it.  You can let work or life get you down – or, you can choose to be happy with who you are despite life’s sometimes challenging circumstances.

Leaders are optimistic people.  Even in the midst of turmoil and chaos, their mental attitude can help them to rise above and persevere.

Thank you to my little book for reminding me of that today.

Whew – if you’re like me, you feel a sense of completion for putting 2009 to rest.  I’m excited for 2010 and all the promise of what this New Year will bring.  In regards to resolution, I can’t say that I have many specific goals that I have set for myself.  I do have one general goal, however, that I aspire towards: efficiency.

My life is dynamic – running Lead Star, traveling to client sites, delivering training … add to that, as the wife of a Marine (who travels frequently) and the mom of a pre-schooler (who has just entered into after-school activity world) and it’s easy to see that life can be complicated at the Morgan household.   

Last year I found myself jumping through the same hoop several times when I should have just jumped through it once. As a small example, why was I going to the grocery store four times a week when with a bit of proper planning I could only go once? Also, I found myself saying “yes” to a few things that I should have said “no” to.  If you’ve ever over-committed, you know the stress that it can bring! 

So, at the beginning of this year I’m going to write out my priorities.  As a next step, I’m also going to look at my current activities and see if they support these priorities.  If they don’t, then I’m going to start eliminating them.  Plain and simple.  With a little bit of planning and discipline, my hope is that I’ll have more time to enjoy the things that I say “yes” to and make my minutes count. 

I would love to hear any tactics you have for efficiency and effectiveness.  Please post here or on Facebook.

It’s easy to believe the lies that we tell ourselves and others.  Some include:

• If I tell people ”I’m not a morning person,” they will excuse my bad attitude
• I’m going to be about 15 minutes late - Linda won’t mind
• Last week Mike sent his report late, so it’s okay if I send my project in late to him
• People don’t seem to mind working extra hours around here
• If I don’t refill the coffee pot, no one will care
• It’s okay if I leave the microwave messy – Tina likes to clean the break room

However, if you were on the receiving end of any of these false assumptions or behaviors, chances are that you would be quite annoyed.

As you work to influence and inspire, you cannot let yourself off the hook.  Do not excuse your poor behavior – be accountable to it.  You lead others best when you are considerate of other’s needs, strive for top performance, and mindful of the impact that you have on others.