Creating 2023’s Vision

Monday, November 28th, 2022|

Planning for next year starts today.

We have an opportunity now to evaluate what worked, and what didn’t and to re-focus our plans and vision for the new year. Every year presents opportunities for learning, growth, and for eliminating what hasn’t worked.  It takes reflection and then the implementation of a plan… both personally and professionally.

Each year our team at Artisan Creative works on a plan by creating a vision board. We present the boards to one another at the first meeting of the year in January. The boards represent our short and long-term goals and include both personal and professional aspirations. Many of our team members create physical boards, and others opt for a digital version using TrelloCanvaPinterest, Jamboard, or PicMonkey.

We create accountability (one of our core values) by presenting the boards to each other as well as learning more about each other’s ambitions, dreams, and commitments. Some set a theme for the year, and then include specific action words and inspirational quotes. All have in common a shared use of imagery that inspires, tells a story, and conveys a message to create a powerful visualization tool.

In addition to sharing our vision and goals at the start of the new year, we review our boards mid-year as well as share a recap at our year-end meeting. This helps keep us on track during the course of the year, which can have many twists and turns. This activity is one of our strongest team-building exercises, as it stays “evergreen”.

Here are five tips to create your vision board and get started on achieving your goals!

  1. Choose a theme
  2. Select words and images that inspire and are true to your core values and positivity and inspiration for yourself and others.
  3. Imagine the integrated life/work you want to have.
  4. Create your board.
  5. Live your best life.

You can either divide your board into sections for business and personal or mix the elements together throughout. The important point is to create an integrated board where your personal and professional aspirations are represented.

Hang the board where you can re-visit it daily—read the inspirational messages out loud— and often! Mine is right in front of my desk, so I get to see it every time I look up from my computer.

Another key element is sharing the board with others. Having an accountability partner will help you get closer to achieving your goals.

If you choose to go the digital route, change your desktop to the vision board artwork so you can see it every day for inspiration and setting priorities.

Tools needed:

  • A large poster board to give you plenty of space to visualize your year, yet small enough to hang on your wall. We use the 22 x 28 size available from Staples.
  • A good pair of scissors and a strong glue stick so the pictures stay on all year long.
  • Variety of magazines to look through and find those inspiring words and pictures.
  • (Optional) Markers/stickers to write on or embellish your board.
  • Patience and Creativity.
  • Time to reflect.
  • Start in December and finalize by Jan 1.
  • Select images and words throughout the month and calendar a day to create the actual vision board.

For some people, it’s easier to start with a theme and for others, the pictures and words shape the theme of the board. There is no right or wrong method, harness your creativity in any way that works best for you.

Happy 2023 & good luck with those aspirations!

Visual Roadmap for 2022

Thursday, December 23rd, 2021|

Every year has its ups and downs, and 2021 was no exception. What did we learn from it? How did we grow? What will we stop doing or do more of? Who do we want to be in this new year? These are just a few questions to reflect upon, personally and professionally.

Each year our Artisan Creative team works on creating a vision board. We present these to one another at our January team meeting. The boards are a collection of our short and long-term goals and include both personal and professional aspirations. Most of our team members create physical boards, although a few opt for a digital version using TrelloCanvaPinterest, Jamboard, or PicMonkey.

Presenting to one another creates accountability (one of our core values) and enables the team to learn more about each other’s ambitions, dreams, and commitments. Some set a theme for the year, and then include specific action words and inspirational quotes. All have in common a shared use of imagery that inspires, tells a story, and conveys a message to create a powerful visualization tool.

In addition to sharing our vision and goals at the start of the new year, we review our boards mid-year as well as share a recap at our year-end meeting. This helps keep us on track during the course of the year, which can have many twists and turns. This activity is one of our strongest team-building exercises, as it stays “evergreen”.

Here are five tips to create your vision board and get started on achieving your goals!

  1. Choose a theme
  2. Select words and images that inspire and are true to your core values and positivity and inspiration for yourself and others.
  3. Imagine the integrated life/work you want to have.
  4. Create your board.
  5. Live your best life.

You can either divide your board into sections for business and personal or mix the elements together throughout. The important point is to create an integrated board where your personal and professional aspirations are represented.

Hang the board where you can re-visit it daily—read the inspirational messages out loud— and often! Mine is right in front of my desk, so I get to see it every time I look up from my computer.

Another key element is sharing the board with others. Having an accountability partner will help you get closer to achieving your goals.

If you choose to go the digital route, change your desktop to the vision board artwork so you can see it every day for inspiration and setting priorities.

Tools needed:

  • A large poster board to give you plenty of space to visualize your year, yet small enough to hang on your wall. We use the 22 x 28 size available from Staples.
  • A good pair of scissors and a strong glue stick so the pictures stay on all year long.
  • Variety of magazines to look through and find those inspiring words and pictures.
  • (Optional) Markers/stickers to write on or embellish your board.
  • Patience and Creativity.
  • Time to reflect.
    Cut images and words throughout the month. Select aside a day to create the actual vision board. For some, it’s easier to start with a theme and for others, the pictures and words shape the theme of the board. There is no right or wrong method, harness your creativity any way that works best for you.

What is your goal-setting process?

Happy 2022!  We hope you’ve enjoyed the 599th issue of our weekly a.blog.  

START SMART

Tuesday, January 12th, 2021|

Happy 2021!  Your vision board is done. You have selected your word of the year.

You feel full of energy and enthusiasm and are ready to tackle every project and every goal.

What about 2 months from now? How will you keep on track?  How about six months from now–will 50% of your goals be accomplished by then?  Let’s make certain they can be.

The key to setting goals and accomplishing them is to set SMART goals.  And, just as important for your goals to be SMART, is to START smart.

The traditional Smart goals as introduced by Peter Drucker are:

  • Specific (simple, sensible, significant).
  • Measurable (meaningful, motivating).
  • Achievable (agreed, attainable).
  • Relevant (reasonable, realistic, and resourced, results-based).
  • Time-bound (time-based, time-limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive).

Deepak Chopra has his version which I love.

  • Stretch for more than you can reach
  • Make everything measurable
  • Agreement with yourself and those around you
  • Record your progress
  • Time limits for acting and getting results

However we define SMART goals, they won’t magically come to fruition without foresight, preparation, and follow-through. To set SMART goals we have to START Smart.   And, to start smart we must be or have:

S: Set strength-based goals. Rely on our strengths

T: Tenacious. Show tenacity.

A: Alignment. Be aligned with our core values

R: Reflect.  Take time to reflect and give yourself the time and space to discover WHY you want to pursue the specific goals you’ve set.

T: Team.  Gather a team around you to help you accomplish your goals.

Let’s delve into it further:

S: Strength-based means to rely on your own strengths, talents, skills, and behaviors that naturally come to you and help you accomplish what you set your mind to do.  For example, I am a naturally positive person and that positivity propels me to have a can-do attitude, view every obstacle as a growth challenge, and know I can think beyond the box to find a solution.

T: Tenacity

Every goal requires a tenacious, unwavering belief in its accomplishment.  It requires hard work, planning, and commitment.  Otherwise, it’s not a goal, it a wish.

A: Alignment with your core values

Goals have to be true to our core.  They have to align with what is most important to us and to the values we adhere to.  Otherwise, we will have inner conflict and a harder path towards achievement.

R: Reflective.  We have to give ourselves the time and space to discover WHY we want to pursue a specific goal. The goal has to be significant to us and to those around us.  When other stakeholders are involved, there is more on the line and a bigger motivation for accomplishment.

T: Team

Goals are not accomplished in a vacuum.  We all need a support system or an accountability partner to keep us on track and focused.  Sharing our goals with others creates a commitment, a stronger sense of responsibility to self and to others.

As you plan out your 2021, how will you break your goals into SMART ones and take the time to START smart?

2020 Vision (Board)

Monday, December 30th, 2019|

This is a special time of the year to reflect on the abundance of the previous year and to plan for the upcoming new year. In this very special case, we have a new decade to celebrate with the perfect 2020 Vision.

What would you like to see, do and be in this new year/decade?

Here at Artisan Creative, each year our a.team members work on their New Year’s goals and create a vision board or dream board. Most create physical boards, although a few opt for a digital version using Trello, Canva, Pinterest or PicMonkey.

We present our boards to one another at our first team meeting in January. The boards are a collection of our short and long term goals and include both personal and professional aspirations.

Presenting to the team creates accountability (one of our a.team core values) and enables the group to learn more about each other’s ambitions, dreams, and commitments. Some set a theme for the year, some have specific action words—others use inspirational quotes. All have in common a shared use of imagery that inspires, tells a story, and conveys a message to create a powerful visualization tool.

In addition to sharing our vision and goals at the start of the new year, we review our boards mid-year in our June meeting and share a recap at our year-end meeting. This helps keep us on track during the course of the year, which can have many twists and turns. This activity is one of our strongest team-building exercises, as it stays “evergreen”.

You can do a variation this year and create a vision board for the decade with a focus on long term goals.  An alternative is to create a gratitude board where you can continually be reminded of all things you are grateful for.

However you choose to proceed, here are some tips to create your vision board and get started on achieving your goals!

  1. Select words and images that inspire and are true to your core values.
  2. Create positivity and inspiration for yourself and others.
  3. Imagine the integrated life/work you want to live.
  4. You can either divide your board into sections for business and personal or mix the elements together throughout. The important point is to create an integrated board where your personal and professional aspirations are represented.
  5. Hang the board where you can re-visit it daily—read the inspirational messages out loud— and often! Mine is right in front of my desk, so I get to see it every time I look up from my computer.
  6. Share with others. Having an accountability partner will help you get closer to achieving your goals.
  7. If you choose to go the digital route, change your desktop to the vision board artwork so you can see it every day for inspiration and setting priorities.

Tools needed:

  • A large poster board to give you plenty of space to visualize your year, yet small enough to hang on your wall. We use the 22 x 28 size available from Staples.
  • A good pair of scissors and a strong glue stick so the pictures stay on all year long.
  • Variety of magazines to look through and find those inspiring words and pictures.
  • (Optional) Markers/stickers to write on or embellish your board.
  • Patience and Creativity.
  • Time to reflect.
    Cut images and words throughout the month. Select aside a day to create the actual vision board. For some, it’s easier to start with a theme and for others, the pictures and words shape the theme of the board. There is no right or wrong method, harness your creativity any way that works best for you.

What is your goal-setting process?

Happy 2020!  We hope you’ve enjoyed the 550th issue of our weekly a.blog.

Daniel’s Ice Cream Adventure

Wednesday, March 13th, 2019|

You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream. But few people are willing to give up a high-profile career in digital marketing in search of the perfect pint. But Daniel did just that, ending his travels working at an ice cream shop in rural Maine. Now he’s back in Los Angeles, looking for work, armed with the knowledge of the power of pursuing your passions above all else. 

What prompted your 50-state adventure in search of the world’s best ice cream?

It was the perfect storm, really. I had the dream, a little money saved up, no mortgage, no kids, no debt. I’ve always been able to eat a lot without gaining weight. I loved my job, but I got a yen to travel and experience some soul fulfillment. Part of me just wanted to see if I could do it without quitting.

What was the best part of your journey?

The people, without question. I knew what to expect in terms of geography and even ice cream. But my interactions with people blew me away. I met amazing people with fascinating life stories. It’s not an understatement to say that this journey restored my faith in humanity. I forged new, lifelong friendships. I would never have had the opportunity to do that if I had just stayed in my comfort zone.

How did your professional skill-set help you along the way?

Three aspects of my career helped me along my journey: content creation, analytics, and social media management. While traveling, I updated my personal blog, The King of Ice Cream, talking about fun ice cream flavors and whatnot. I also curated a little following on Instagram (@_kingoficecream). These had the unintended consequence of ice cream businesses reaching out to me and requesting I stop by when I was in town to try their ice creams. With a little bit of traffic analysis from my following, I managed to create proposals for sponsored content, and the funds from said content helped prolong my journey even further. I was now able to try more ice creams and travel to more places than what I initially had planned in the outset.

Why ice cream?

Ice cream has always had a special place in my heart. From ages 4 to 14 I probably ate ice cream every single day of my life, rain or shine. All throughout and after college, during national ice cream month (July), I made it my mission to try a different flavor of ice cream during every single day of the month. Over the years, my ice creams flavors became more daring and intense, until one year, I ended National Ice Cream Month in an Ice Cream Cleanse — a three-day dietary cleanse where you eat no solid foods aside from five pints of ice cream each day for three days straight. It was a special vegan ice cream found in Venice, CA, and the whole experience was more difficult than I’d thought. At that point, people started sending me recommendations of other crazy ice cream challenges all around the country that seemed pretty interesting, and ones that I hoped to attempt one day.

What motivated you to take such a big chance?

While I’d like to say it was purely love of dessert, if I’m being honest, there’s a part of me that says it was definitely out of fear too. Fear of regret later on in life if I didn’t go out and do this. All the what if’s and what could’ve been moments were terrifying to me. Even more so than playing it safe and staying within my comfort zone. And as I said before, a quick metabolism will only last for so long, so it was best to do this in my youth as opposed to in my retirement.

Can you share some info on your book?

It’s still in the works, but I do have the title picked out already. It’ll be called The Cream of the Couch, and it’s about the people I met during my journey. These people were complete strangers to me, and we only met through happenstance. But they willingly let me sleep on their couches, free of charge while I tried ice cream in their city, and I learned a lot about myself and other ways of living through these strange encounters.

What advice would you share with anyone thinking of taking a sabbatical or pursuing a life-long dream?

It’s hard for me to tell others what to do when I don’t know their circumstances or goals. If you have medical bills, loan debts, or other responsibilities, it would be pretty foolish for me to say drop all of that to pursue a passing desire.

However, what I can say for me though is that I have no regrets. Even as my bank accounts have dropped, or I now am back on the grind to look for steady employment again, I’m still extremely glad I went. There’s a special kind of pride and peace of mind that comes from not only accomplishing what I set out to do but from growing in new ways I hadn’t conceived of before. Leaving is a feeling that can hardly be put into so few words.

At Artisan Creative we work with some amazing creatives, artists and creators. We love featuring their stories when we can and hope you’ve enjoyed our 512th a.blog and Daniel’s Ice Cream Adventure.

Visualize Your Year

Wednesday, January 2nd, 2019|

Our Artisan Creative a.team creates a new vision board every year. What started as a fun team-building project, has grown into a mindset that many of our team members have now introduced to their families and friends to set individual and family goals together.

We each work on visualizing and creating our boards over the holidays, and present at our first team meeting in January. Our boards are as varied and eclectic as we are. They include short and long-term goals, as well as personal and professional aspirations.

We believe that by presenting and sharing we hold true to our values, and create a culture of accountability that enables the team to learn more about each other’s ambitions, dreams, and commitments. Some set a theme for their board or their year—others use inspirational quotes. All have a shared thread of growth, inspiration, and visualization, that tells a story and creates a visual roadmap for achieving our personal and business goals.

In addition to sharing our vision boards with one another to start the year, we revisit the boards mid-year together and also review in our year-end meeting. This way, we help keep one another on track throughout the year.

Here is the process we follow to create our vision boards, so invite co-workers and family members to get your new year off to an amazing start!

  1. Set your intentions & define your priorities for the year
  2. Select words and images that inspire and are true to your core values.
  3. Create positivity and inspiration for yourself and others.
  4. Imagine the integrated life/work that you want to live.
  5. Your board can be divided into sections for career, self, family, and community or be a mix of combined elements throughout. The key is to create the vision where your personal and professional aspirations are represented to help create an integrated life and work.
  6. Hang the board where you can re-visit it daily—read the inspirational messages out loud— and often! Mine is right in front of my desk, so I see it every time I look up from my computer.
  7. Share with others. Having an accountability partner will help you get closer to achieving your goals.

Tools needed:

  • A large poster board to give you plenty of space to visualize your year, yet small enough to hang on your wall. We use the 22 x 28 size available from Staples.
  • A good pair of scissors and a strong glue stick so the pictures stay on all year long.
  • Variety of magazines to look through and find those inspiring words and pictures.
  • (Optional) Markers/stickers to write on or embellish your board.
  • Patience and Creativity.
  • Time to reflect.

I cut images and words throughout the month of December. Then I create the actual vision board in one day. For some, it’s easier to start with a theme and for others, the pictures and words shape the direction of the board. There is no right or wrong method, harness your creativity in any way that works best for you.

Although electronic versions such as Pinterest or Trello also work, going old-school where you physically search for and cut out imagery and words from a magazine and decide where to place them, is in itself an opportunity to reflect and plan via a very tangible exercise.

What is your goal setting process?

Happy New Year!

We hope you’ve enjoyed the 503rd issue of our weekly a.blog.

 

Actioning Your Goals

Wednesday, January 10th, 2018|

Now that you’ve set your goals for the year and created your vision board, it’s important to devise a plan to stay on track and act on what you’ve set your mind to do.

In his book Triggers, Marshall Goldsmith says; “We are superior planners and inferior doers!” So in order to take action, we have to develop new habits, a razor-sharp focus, and be undeterred.

Below are some tools to help stay organized and focused and apply action to the plan at hand.

  1. Make the commitment! If they are truly important to you, then you owe it to yourself to commit to them. You set these goals for a reason.
  2. Keep to an organized calendar and protect your time. Great tools such as Toggle or Trello can be a huge benefit in managing your to-do list.
  3. Focus on important matters. Urgent matters have a way of creeping in and taking over if you aren’t focused.
  4. Breakdown your to-do list into bite-size steps that need to happen daily or weekly for the goal to be accomplished.
  5. Add a timeline or date for accomplishing each step.
  6. Broadcast your goals and let your co-workers, friends, and family know so they can be your accountability partners.
  7. Ask for support where you need it. Delegating some tasks can open up your calendar to take care of the goals you have set.
  8. Know what you have to stop doing and be aware of your triggers, so you can adjust your mindset and offset any roadblocks. For example, let’s say your plan is to set workout routine 3 times a week. If you already know that you have more energy in the mornings or mid-day than after work, set your routine and go to the gym to work or during lunch. The temptation to skip a workout after a long day may be too easy if you are already tired or hungry.
  9. Celebrate every win. Every small win is a step in the right direction. Don’t wait to accomplish the goal until you celebrate.
  10. Forgive. Every so often, we all stumble. It’s ok. Just get back to your routine and the new habits you are trying to create.

Wishing you a great start to the new year.  If you are looking for a new career opportunity this year or looking to hire your dream team, please get in touch.

We hope you enjoy the 457th issue of our weekly a.blog.

 

Creating Your Vision Board

Wednesday, January 3rd, 2018|

Based on some great feedback and comments, we’ve decided to re-post our Vision Boarding blog with a few updates:

Every year, each member of the Artisan Creative a.team works on their New Year’s goals and creates a vision board. They present their boards at our first meeting in January. These boards are a collection of our short and long-term goals, that include both personal and professional aspirations.

Presenting to the team develops accountability and enables the group to learn more about each other’s ambitions, dreams, and commitments. Some people set a theme for their board or their year—others use inspirational quotes. They all have in common a shared use of imagery that inspires, tells a story, and conveys a message to create a powerful visualization tool.

In addition to sharing our vision and goals at the onset of each new year, we review our boards mid-year and share a recap at our year-end meeting. This creates a sense of accountability that helps keep us on track during the course of the year, which can have many twists and turns. This activity is one of our strongest team-building exercises, as it stays “evergreen”.

Here are some tips to create your vision board and get your new year off to a good start!

  1. Select words and images that inspire and are true to your core values.
  2. Create positivity and inspiration for yourself and others.
  3. Imagine the integrated life/work you want to live.
  4. You can either divide your board into sections for business and personal or mix the elements together throughout. The important point is to create an integrated board where your personal and professional aspirations are represented.
  5. Hang the board where you can re-visit it daily—read the inspirational messages out loud— and often! Mine is right in front of my desk, so I get to see it every time I look up from my computer.
  6. Share with others. Having an accountability partner will help you get closer to achieving your goals.

Tools needed:

  • A large poster board to give you plenty of space to visualize your year, yet small enough to hang on your wall. We use the 22 x 28 size available from Staples.
  • A good pair of scissors and a strong glue stick so the pictures stay on all year long.
  • Variety of magazines to look through and find those inspiring words and pictures.
  • (Optional) Markers/stickers to write on or embellish your board.
  • Patience and Creativity.
  • Time to reflect. I cut images and words throughout the month of December. Then one day between Christmas and New Years’, I create the actual vision board. For some, it’s easier to start with a theme and for others, the pictures and words shape the theme of the board. There is no right or wrong method, harness your creativity any way that works best for you.

Although electronic versions such as Pinterest also work, going old-school where you physically search for and cut out imagery and words from a magazine and decide where to place them, is in itself an opportunity to reflect and plan via a very tangible exercise.

What is your goal-setting process?

Happy New Year!

We hope you’ve enjoyed the 456th issue of our weekly a.blog.

How to Achieve a Winning Mindset

Wednesday, November 15th, 2017|

“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

– Michael Jordan

It’s easy enough to feel positive and optimistic when things are going well. However, to prevent burnout, turn setbacks into opportunities, and build a strong and reliable business, career, or life, we must develop a resilient winner’s mindset. This is crucial for those who are in the job-hunting or interview process.

Whether you’re currently up or down or experiencing success or setbacks in getting to the next level of interviews, when you internalize these core principles, you can be like Mike, a person who learns from mistakes, profits from adversity, and grows stronger and wiser over time.

Respect the Body-Mind Connection

Taking better care of our body can dramatically increase the strength, endurance, and potential of our minds. The stress of the job hunt can take a physical toll, which makes body health awareness and appropriate self-care all the more vital.

Along with increasing our strength, longevity, and life satisfaction, regular exercise can improve our brain chemistry. When we overcome inertia and achieve our fitness goals, it inspires us to meet our commitments and handle our responsibilities in other areas of life.

Our bodies turn food into energy. When we consume a healthy and balanced diet, our bodies convert it to a much-needed energy that helps us stay centered, steady, and optimistic through difficult times.

Get Good Information

Just as we must be mindful of what we eat, we must pay attention to our diet of information and intellectual stimulation.

Diversions and light entertainment are fine as long as they are balanced with useful and well-informed content. We should make time for educational and technical material that keeps us up to date, inspirational stories of those who have achieved important breakthroughs, and difficult work that broadens our minds, and challenges our assumptions. .

We don’t exist in a vacuum – cultivating the right environment is tremendously important to thrive and succeed. If you replace negative input with enriching and positive media, you will find that your thoughts follow suit and so will your perspective.

You don’t need to spend all of your time just reading the classics – practice critical thinking about what you read and watch. Ask yourself, “what is the frame of reference here? Why does it exist, what assumptions are baked into it, and what can I learn from this that will help me build a winning mindset?”

You will gradually find yourself focusing more on work that reflects your values, and getting more optimistic as a result. And you will certainly be sharper in interviews, in meetings, and on the job.

Keep Things In Perspective

We cannot be defined by our mistakes and setbacks – as long as we stay in the game, we will ultimately benefit from challenging experiences and the learning opportunities they give us.

Likewise, we cannot let winning go to our heads. Every small victory should be celebrated, as it gives us the courage to reach higher goals. As we celebrate victories, we must remind ourselves that there is more work to be done. We cannot adequately prepare for the future if we rest on past achievements.

Stay proud in defeat and humble in victory. In this way, we can avoid the fate of the “one-hit wonder” and always play the long game, in the job hunt as in life.

A simple, daily mindfulness practice can be a tremendous help in maintaining the equanimity we need to stay agile and not let our good or bad experiences define us too strictly.

Move Beyond Zero-Sum Thinking

Many of our games and rituals are based on the notion that, for us to win, someone else has to lose. This represents a “zero-sum” or scarcity-based mentality, wherein we are competing for limited resources. In reality, things rarely work this way. We can usually get what we want without hurting others.

Our most pressing challenges and greatest opportunities lie in increasing the overall wealth and resources available to human society. We can disrupt old structures and cultivate new ideas from the assumption that everyone can benefit from our work, including those we may see as competition. We have our differences, and our best thinking springs from a willingness to better provide for all of humanity.

When we do our best work with the intention to do what’s right, everyone ultimately benefits. When we transcend zero-sum thinking and adopt an abundance mindset, we open a wealth of opportunity for ourselves, our communities, and the world at large.

Be Grateful To Everyone

To psychologically ground ourselves and maintain a balanced perspective, nothing is more important than a regular practice of gratitude.

This is easier said than done, particularly when many factors seem arrayed against us, in a job search or other endeavors. But no matter where we are personally or professionally, we must take stock of the many advantages and privileges we have.

If your job search has been challenging, try a simple “loving-kindness” practice. Be grateful to yourself, and slowly extend that outward to your loved ones, to strangers, and to the entire world. Just by giving it a try, you will open your mind to abundance and generosity, which will help you cope with any problems that come your way.

The more grateful you are, the more “luck” you are likely to have, as others perceive you as a source of goodwill, strength, and comfort in their own tough journeys.

At Artisan Creative, we help creative professionals at all levels of expertise build rewarding careers by sharing job search best practices and interview tips. Contact us today to learn more.

 

We hope you enjoy the 450th issue of our weekly a.blog.

 

Returning to Work

Wednesday, July 5th, 2017|

 

Hoping everyone had a Happy 4th of July holiday.

We know going back to work after a few days off may require a brief time to get back into the flow of things.

However, going back to work after a prolonged absence may require a longer period of adjustment. Extended leave isn’t just for maternity anymore. Sabbaticals, family leave and unlimited vacation policies are a few reasons you might take time away from work for a longer period of time.

To return to your workflow seamlessly will require preparation and a plan. Not only do you need mental preparation, you also need to incorporate concrete steps to get into the flow of things and kick-start your productivity right away.

Here’s how to prepare for RTW (Return-To-Work).

Routine, Routine, Routine. Get back into a routine as soon as possible. Some suggestions by two of our a.team members who just got back from maternity leave are:

Wake up earlier. Setting your alarm clock earlier by 15 minutes every day is a good way to slowly ease into a routine. If you are managing jetlag or a new baby, it’s easy to have your routine disrupted, so this does take concentrated effort.

Hit the gym. Exercise helps you to sleep better while also giving your body more energy to use when you’re awake. You’re going to need the extra boost of energy when you’re back at your desk.

Regularize your meals. Meals are necessary to fuel your body, obviously, but they also send a signal to your body that you’re back on a schedule. They can also help structure your day. “I have to eat dinner at 6, no matter what” can help the rest of your day fall into place.

First Day Back at Work

Set Your Own Expectations. There’s a tendency to want to conquer the world right out of the starting gate. However, depending on how long you’ve been away, accept that you may not get caught up on the first day back!

Pace yourself. Catching up is neither a marathon nor a sprint, but a medium-distance race. Pace yourself and create balance between the various to-dos you have to tackle.

Set your calendar for the week. (Hint: you can plan for this even before you leave.)

Schedule meetings for Day 2. with key collaborators, clients, managers and staff to get updated on the department goings-on.

Get back to Zero-Inbox. Depending on how long you were gone and how many emails are waiting for you–this task can take a bit of time, so schedule time for it.

Your first day back is key for organizing, catching up and getting everything together. Doing this will set you up for success for easing back into work successfully.

Welcome back!

Artisan Creative is celebrating 20+ years in staffing and recruitment of creative professionals. Over the years, we’ve learned a thing or two that we’d like to share with you. We hope you enjoy the 432nd issue of our weekly a.blog.