Newberry Solutions in Forbes

If you follow me on LinkedIn, you know that I’ve become a regular contributor to Forbes through the Forbes Coaches Council. I love being part of this because it allows Newberry Solutions to have a bigger impact by sharing our proven strategies on a broader platform. 

Today I want to share the recent advice and insights that I and other coaches have shared. If any of these articles leave you wanting to learn more, you’ll also find links to additional resources from this blog.

Shift to a Positive Mindset

In the article “15 Hacks For Pessimists To Switch To A More Positive Point Of View,” I talked about how to notice your thoughts and feelings to recognize and combat your negative self-talk.

Learn more: “How to Stop the Loop of Negative Self-Talk.”

Cope with Change

We’ve all had to become more adaptable over the past few years. In the article “14 Coaches Explore What It Looks Like To Become An ‘Agile’ Leader, “ I stressed the importance of staying centered amid change.

Learn more: “5 Sure-Fire Ways to Get Centered Fast.”

Practice Empathy

Success is about relationships, and that includes relationships with customers or clients. So the topic “16 Ways To Treat Customers Like Humans Instead Of Numbers” is an important one.

Learn more: “Are You Being Strategic About Relationships?”

Network Effectively

What’s the best way to introduce yourself at your next networking event? I explain in the article  “14 Steps To Take A Networking Pitch To The Next Level.”

Learn More: “Networking for Results.”

Avoid DEI Mistakes

“11 Potentially Brand-Damaging Mistakes Corporations Make With DEI Initiatives” is a timely topic as more organizations put a stronger emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion. As I point out in this article, commitments and allocation of resources must be aligned.

Learn more: “5 Eye-Opening Findings on Women at Work.”

Support Mental Health for All

Along with DEI, companies are also increasing attention on employee well-being. As the article  “How C-Level Leaders Can Address The Mental Health Needs Of Underserved Demographics” points out, this requires more than a one-size-fits-all approach. Different cultures in the workplace have different attitudes about seeking help with mental health.

Learn more: “What is Silencing? (And Why Your Company Must Care About It).”

Speak Up

Introverts have so much value to add to the workplace. The tips from me and other coaches in the article “How More Reserved Employees Can Make Their Voices Heard” will help you bring that value in a way that works for you.

Learn more: “Are You Keeping Your Gold Mine of Ideas to Yourself?”

Talk Face to Face

There’s a lot to navigate in this new world of hybrid work, including the best forms of communication in different situations. The article “14 Examples Where In-Person Communication Is Better Than Virtual At Work” is a guide that all leaders can use.

Learn more: “How to Deliver Tough Messages.”

Protect Your Capacity

Saying “yes” to everything has a cost. If you tend to keep your plate too full, check out the article “16 Ways Professionals Can Avoid Overcommitting Themselves At Work.”

Learn more: “4 Ways to Keep Your Busy Life from Taking Over.”

Keep this roundup as a valuable resource for you, and share it with others. If these Forbes Coaches Council articles have you curious about what coaching can do for you or your organization, I invite you to explore our products and services, including the New Lens app. New Lens can help you bring the power of coaching to more employees, even when budgets and schedules are tight. Set up a demo now.

How to Focus on Your Well-Being in 2022

Before your schedule fills back up again after the holidays, it’s a good time to check in on your well-being. If you’re a regular reader, you know that I’ve always taught that the quality of your leadership (i.e., how you “show up”) depends on your physical and mental well-being.  In demanding times like these, that’s even more true. 

In the current environment, self-care is a critical strategy rather than something to get to when you have a spare moment. You and I both know that those spare moments may never come. So how can you start the year with a focus on you and your well-being?

3 Questions to Ask Yourself

First, let’s get a sense of how you’re doing right now. Life often gets so busy that we lose sight of this. This is why it helps to reflect before you take action.

1. How would you rate your energy level on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 is high)?

2. What one or two derailing behaviors do you want to eliminate from your daily routine? 

3. What are one or two simple changes you can make right now to support your well-being in 2022? Keep in mind the strategies that energize you and have already proven effective.

How I’m Making Shifts

To help you think about these questions, I want to share what answering them brought up for me.

I know from experience that I’m happier and more productive when I go to bed on time and exercise or meditate first thing in the morning. Leading up to the holidays, I had let this personal best practice fall by the wayside. I had gotten into the habit of working too late and then staying up even later doing something to decompress, like watching TV. Instead of jumping out of bed well-rested, I started hitting the snooze button each morning. This put a damper on my energy level. On top of that, I got drawn into reading the depressing news notifications on my phone when I finally woke up.

As I start off this year, I’m being much more intentional about my sleeping and waking habits. I have set more realistic expectations for myself, especially when I know I’ll be really busy, and have let go of all-or-nothing thinking. If I can’t do a full workout in the morning, a 10-minute walk or run still has benefits. I’ve adjusted the notifications on my phone and read the news when it’s less likely to affect my mindset. 

Another way I support my well-being is by proactively managing my calendar. This is a work-in-progress. I’ve been experimenting with blocking out time on my calendar for different kinds of work and then evaluating whether I used those blocks as planned. Over the past six months, I’ve tweaked my system three times to align with when I have the most energy, my clients’ needs, and the work I actually need to get done. 

What Steps Can You Commit to?

As you think about how to better support your own well-being, remember that it’s not about perfection or having everything all figured out before you take action. It is a process of continuous improvement. Commit to just one or two small changes right now and then see how they affect your energy and well-being. Use what you learn to help you continue to refine your approach. And remember that small steps lead to big results.

If you’re looking for even more actionable strategies to start your year on the right foot, check out my award-winning New Lens app. It features bite-size lessons like the ones in this article that you can quickly absorb and apply.