HERE'S TO TWENTY TWENTY MORE!

I have to confess, coming back to work last week after a month off, was tough. Getting going has been akin to winding up an old car! What the hell is that noise (oh, it’s the alarm). How on earth do I log onto Zoom? What’s the password for that (and that?). Not to mention, the cat isn’t happy that I’m no longer able to attend to his every whim. He keeps walking across my laptop to get my attention and……….SDSRFSGUDSYU NFIBUHJBPOMBH[PGLJJ][DTHT;J/YKHKDFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

Yep, that was him!

Easing back to work after a glorious time off isn’t easy, even if you do love your work, as I do. Which is amazing given I’m 29 years in business this year. I sought advice from some amazing leaders that I follow and here are a few of their tips for getting back into the groove that I’ve embraced.

1. Motivation mix: Create a playlist of tunes that get you hyped. Spotify have a good mix. Blast in the car or with your morning cuppa to get those positive vibes flowing and shake off those back-to-work woes. Harry Styles does it for me!
2. Workstation facelift: Spruce up your workspace by tidying it up, adding a diffuser that pumps out energising essential oil, or add a plant or bunch of flowers. We spend perhaps a quarter of our life sitting here, make it a happy place!
3. Refresh and reward: Be sure to have some great healthy snacks to keep you going when you hit the wall. My favourite is celery sticks lined with peanut butter topped with sea salt. And take regular breaks – to observe the outdoors, to meditate, to dance, to chat to someone.  Right now, I’m captivated by a little blue wren who is feeding on the kangaroo paw outside my office and admiring himself in the window’s reflection.  A moment of pure joy in between email sorting and responding.

Thanks to Brent Lindeque aka ‘the good things guy’ for these tips.

If you’re looking for more of a reinvention or reset this year, you can ask yourself FIVE simple - yet profound - questions, from business guru Marie Forleo. Each day last week (my last before returning to work) I’d make a coffee for my hubby and me, and hop back into bed.  I’d ask one question each morning, and we’d spend the day cogitating on it and then we’d regroup that evening (again in bed!) to discuss - and answer - the question.  It wasn’t stressful, and it didn’t feel forced, but it’s given rise to some important discussions about how our daily habits impact our life together and what we really want to do, and achieve, in the years to come.

The 5 questions can be watched here. Need a Life Reset? Ask Yourself These 5 Questions (youtube.com)

Something about this year feels different.  After two years of lockdown, and two years of playing it pretty safe (avoiding Covid - I still haven’t had it) I’m ready to expand and I’m ready for growth. Growth in BePartnerReady.com®, growth in my personal experiences and growth in my heart.

I’ve named this year Twenty Twenty More, which aligns very nicely to BePartnerReady.com’s tagline of ‘Do More. Be More’. When we created it in 2020, it was always much more than a tagline, it was a rallying crying to non-profits and changemakers to stretch their thinking, their, resources, their influence and to achieve More impact by partnering with corporates. To Do More of what they do best – change the world.  If you’d like to read our Manifesto, which expands on this, you can do so here

I hope that 2024 brings you closer to having More of the things that fill you with joy, More time with people that make you smile, and More laughter. Because, life is short.

Hailey Cavill-Jaspers