How to Get Organized at Work in the New Year

Looking to be more productive and less stressed in the new year? Take an afternoon to get organized–for real–at work. Clearing the clutter will not only help you look like you’re more in control. You’ll also feel more in control. And you’ll work more efficiently because of it.

1. Get rid of it. The first step in getting organized is to simplify. Clear out the obvious clutter but go one step beyond that. When it comes to various office supplies and unimportant files, if you haven’t used it in a year get rid of it. Make this step a part of your monthly routine.
2. Find a place for everything. The idea is that when everything has a perfect place, you’ll be able to put it back in that place every time. No more mess! And no more time spent stressing out about where things need to go. Instead, come up with a system that works for you and that you can realistically and easily follow.
3. Don’t forget the digital stuff. Clear your desktop of the clutter. It’s okay to keep a current project folder or two in plain sight, but file away the rest. And be strategic about how you name your files as well as what you put inside of each one.
4. Do the end-of-the-night clean-up. Before you leave the office, spend just five minutes tidying up both your digital and physical space. Your future self will thank you tomorrow morning.

Image via Mary Cullen/Flickr.

Spectrum Brands 2018 Year in Review!

2018 was a great year for Spectrum Brands. But we wouldn’t be where we are without our wonderful employees! Here are just some of their amazing highlights from the past 12 months:

• Our employees got active during Bike to Work Week and Global Running Day, especially at our World HQ in Middleton, which is located steps away from a bike path.
• Our employees put others first over the holidays, and we couldn’t be prouder about the way they choose to spend their time.
• Our employees win awards. Tammy Chaffee Tecklenberg earned an All-Star Award for her work as VP, Global Sales and Marketing Operations at Global Auto Care.
• Our employees give back. Our nationwide day of service was a huge success this year with employees helping their communities in WI, OH, VA, CA, MO, TX, FL, and CT.
• Our employees take the world by storm. We can’t believe that Olympic Gold Medalist and curling hero Matt Hamilton is one of our own.
• Our employees speak out! Patty Glines-Kotecki, our Organizational Effectiveness Leader, often speaks as an expert in her field.
• Our employees get promoted. We’re proud to announce that Randy Lewis is our new SVP and COO. Congrats, Randy!

15 Motivational Quotes About Taking Charge of Your Career

“It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.” — Sir Edmund Hillary

“Do or do not. There is no try.”  —  Yoda

“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.”  —  Henry Ford

“Nothing will work unless you do.” — Maya Angelou

“One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation.” — Arthur Ashe

“The successful warrior is the average man with laser-like focus.” — Bruce Lee

“Opportunities don’t happen, you create them.”  —  Chris Grosser

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” — Abraham Lincoln

“Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.” — George Addair

“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”  —  Alice Walker

“Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell ’em, ‘Certainly I can!’ Then get busy and find out how to do it.” — Theodore Roosevelt

“You can have anything you want if you are willing to give up the belief that you can’t have it.” — Dr. Robert Anthony

“Fortune does favor the bold and you’ll never know what you’re capable of if you don’t try.” ― Sheryl Sandberg,

“Successful and unsuccessful people do not vary greatly in their abilities. They vary in their desires to reach their potential.” — John Maxwell

Image via Ruin Raider/Flickr.

The Ultimate List of New Year’s Resolutions

Feeling a little uninspired? Or too busy to even write down what you most want to achieve in the coming months? Here is a list of #goals for the new year. Pick three that inspire you then click through each link for tips on how to make these dreams a reality. Good luck!

1. Find work-life balance.
2. Be more memorable. 
3. Improve my posture.
4. Delegate more at work.
5. Do something that scares me.
6. Be more positive. 
7. Delegate more at home. 
8. Leave my job.
9. Work smarter.
10. Expand my network.
11. Get a promotion.
12. Make more work friends.
13. Exercise more.
14. Calm down.
15. Get up earlier.
16. Be more productive.
17. Create a morning routine.
18. Cut down on caffeine.
19. Update your resume/LinkedIn profile.
20. Find a mentor.
21. Take a vacation.
22. Find a new job.
23. Be more likable.
24. Cut back on social media.
25. Unplug.
26. Increase my confidence.
27. Listen more.
28. Take up a hobby.
29. Become a better speaker.
30. Sleep more.

Image via Marwa Morgan/Flickr.

Why You Should Visualize Your Worst Nightmare

Have you incorporated visualization into your career goals? Another word for visualization is “positive thinking.” And it’s true that focusing on the best possible scenario can assist you in actually making that goal a reality. But there’s another side to the coin: failure. Luckily, visualization can still help.

If you’re scared of failing at something, imagine the worst possible scenario–and how you would react to it. How would you feel? And more importantly, what exact steps would you take to climb out of the mess? It’s probably not as bad as you think.

Productivity expert Tim Ferriss calls it “fear-setting.” He claims it’s the “most powerful exercise” he does each month. In Ferriss’s case, he realized that his worst nightmare was really only going to temporarily impact his life on a scale of 3 or 4. But if things went well, his life would be permanently changed to a 9 or 10.

When you visualize the worst case scenario and compare that to the best case scenario, it might help you take a leap of faith. You may become a more “risky” person, but you can feel confident knowing the risk is worth it–and possibly minimal at best. This exercise can be applied to smaller every day decisions or big life changes. Seriously imagine: what’s the worst that could happen?

Image via Matt Reinbold/Flickr. 

15 Career Quotes to Motivate You in 2019

“Careers are a jungle gym, not a ladder.” ― Sheryl Sandberg

“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 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

“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” ― William James

“You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt

“I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.” ― Stephen Covey

“Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.”  – Confucius

“If you look at what you have in life, you’ll always have more. If you look at what you don’t have in life, you’ll never have enough.” ― Oprah Winfrey

“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” ― Milton Berle

“If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on.” ― Steve Jobs 

“The future depends on what you do today.” ― Mahatma Gandhi

“I think it is possible for ordinary people to choose to be extraordinary.”― Elon Musk

“What would you do if you weren’t afraid?” ― Sheryl Sandberg

“Whatever you are, be a good one.” ― Abraham Lincoln

“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” ― Vince Lombardi

“Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.”― Dalai Lama

Image via Mish Sukharev/Flickr.

5 Ways to Use Visualization at Work

Have you ever tried visualizing your goals? Like really and vividly imagining what each step of the process would look and feel like? It can make a difference. Ask any Olympic athlete if they visualized themselves on the podium. The answer is likely yes!

According to The Muse, “by using visualization, you’re tricking your brain into acting as if your desired outcome—whether that’s nailing a presentation, landing a big promotion, or launching your own business—has already happened. And because your brain thinks your desired outcome has already happened, you’re more likely to take the actions necessary to align with your brain’s perceived reality.”

1. The perfect meeting: Imagine yourself nailing your presentation and hitting all the right talking points. Take it another step further and envision others reacting positively to your pitch.
2. The promotion: Vividly dream about what today would be like if you had the position you wanted. Imagine everything from waking up in the morning to what you would wear to what it would be like to walk through the hallways in your new role.
3. The networking event: Regardless of whether or not you like networking, envision yourself interacting with others. What are you saying? What is your body posture like? How do you feel?
4. Resigning: Feel stuck in your position but can’t imagine leaving it? Visualize what the process would be like from start to finish. How would you feel?
5. Starting a new position: A new job is nerve racking so pump yourself  up by imagining your first day going smoothly. While you’re at it, visualize what your day will be like three months from now when you’re a more seasoned employee.

Image via ClaraDon/Flickr.

Why Specific Goals Matter for Your Success

As the new year is fast approaching, you’ve no doubt thought about what you want to achieve in 2019. Perhaps you’d like to eat better or work out more. Maybe you want to be more productive or spend more time with your family. Those are all great goals…in theory. But they are missing one important element: specificity.

According to the Harvard Business Review, “abstract ambitions—such as “doing your best”—are usually much less effective than something concrete, such as bringing in 10 new customers a month or walking 10,000 steps a day.” So instead of ‘spending more time with your family,’ agree to plan one two-hour family activity every weekend. And instead of ‘eating better,’ eat three vegetarian meals per week or cook at home five nights per week.

Another tip mentioned by the Harvard Business Review’s Ayelet Fishbach is to choose a goal that is intrinsically motivated instead of extrinsic. For example, if you want to work out more, you may set a goal to attend a yoga class once per week. Once you attend the yoga class, you’ll feel great and de-stressed. That’s a better motivation than say rewarding yourself with a coffee every time you leave the gym. In short, choose a goal that you actually find enjoyable. While working out might not be everyone’s cup of tea, there is probably some sort of way to work out that you enjoy more than others.

Now here’s your homework: write down three areas of your life that you’d like to improve in the new year. Now translate those items into an actual goal that’s measurable and can be achieved on a weekly or monthly basis. What will your goal be? Good luck!

Image via Steven Depolo/Flickr.