10 Ways to Jump Start Your New Year ~ Tim H. Swanson

The holidays are wrapping up. The new year is here, and your vacation has come to an end. Soon you'll be returning to work.

Heading back to work after a bunch of down time may have you feeling a little over-rested and unfocused. Or perhaps you don't feel relaxed at all, and you have some anxiety associated with the end of the holidays. Maybe you're coming away from Christmas with some family drama. Or you're facing a little bit of shame after eating more than you told yourself you would. On top of all that, you're staring down the barrel of an fully loaded new year with all new deadlines and challenges.

Whatever the end of your holiday season looks like, getting back into the swing of things can feel a like a daunting task. As you head back to work, try just one or two of these tips for jump starting your 2014.

1. Wisely pray for wisdom. Overly simple? Yes. But it's also the most effective thing you can do to begin aligning yourself with God's will for your life. Ask God to show you where He wants your focus to be. That's the best and quickest way regain stability in your life.

2. Pick up a good book. There are bunches of great books out there with tools and motivation to help you make the most out of 2014. Here are the ones I recommend to help you fire up your engines.

- Start by Jon Acuff. This is one of the most energizing books I've read. Jon Acuff has a great way of encouraging people to do their best, and this book is one of his best.

- Next Generation Leader by Andy Stanley. This is an amazing boom on leadership. It'll challenge your leadership habits. This is a good book to read if you want to drastically improve your leadership this year.

- Raising A Modern Day Knight by Robert Lewis. I started reading this book to challenge my parenting with my son, but it's been a great challenge and encouragement for my leadership at home and at work.

- Good Fight is my new book that's coming out in a couple weeks. You can learn more about it by clicking here. You'll get a free copy when you subscribe to updates from this blog. You can sign up easily by clicking on the book cover in in the side bar, or by clicking here.

3. Rebuild your days with a morning routine. If you're the type of person who has had success with a morning routine in the past, then throw a saddle on those AM hours and get back out there. If, on the other hand, a morning routine is one of your new year's resolutions, then give it everything you've got. Having a healthy morning routine is an excellent way to orient yourself at the beginning of the day, and kick that holiday fogginess.

4. Make a tempting to do list. There are some things you're just not going to want to do as you head back to work. Be sure to put those things on your to do list. Then add some things you'll really want to do or that are really easy. Sometimes I'll even add little things I've already done just to check then off and build my sense of accomplishment. Whatever it takes for you, just be sure that you build a list that'll contribute to your motivation rather than crush it.

5. Write a thank you letter. Pick someone whom you are grateful for, and write him/her a letter explaining. This is is a great way to clear your mind and accomplish something very powerful and positive right out the gate.

6. Imagine your best 2014 with your team. When you see your team, spend some time imagining the best possibilities for the year. Get your team excited for the potential that the next 52 weeks have.

7. Refocus your leadership with a good question. These are really powerful for kick stating your new year. Here are a few good questions I keep in mind.

What one thing will I do better than anything else this year?

What separates me from other leaders?

What is my most helpful attribute?

What is the one thing I need to work on the most this year?

8. Do a delegation celebration. One of the most difficult parts of leadership can be delegating. But it's also the most essential part. Kick off the new year by asking some to step out in an area where you think they'll excel. This will serve as an encouragement to you and the team member you give new responsibility to.

9. Debrief the vacation with a friend. Take a coworker to lunch or call a childhood friend, but look for someone with whom you can celebrate or vent about your days off.

10. Bolster your productivity & creativity by signing up for updates from a good blog. This may seem like a way to plug subscription to my blog, and it is. But this isn't the only blog out there, I draw from a lot of other people's blogs to keep me motivated. Here are some of my favorites.

Ragamuffin Soul

MichaelHyatt.com

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