As we find ourselves encountering the beginning of a brand new year, you may feel an influx of energy and optimism for the new year ahead of you. Next thing you know, the emails are piling up, the customers are more demanding, and you feel like you just got hit by a Peterbilt that has a bad case of the flu. But wait – is there an alternative ending to this sad and hopeless story? Of course there is!

While there are many things that are out of our control, according to numerous scientific studies the average adult makes around 35,000 decisions in a given day. Many of these choices, while conscious, have become habitual, and will drain you of your time and energy quicker than your in-laws at Christmas! What is the solution? Get into the habit of spending 10 minutes at the end of your day thinking about the worst parts. If any of those parts are essential functions of your job, think about why those parts are particularly draining and if there is a better way to accomplish the same task. It won’t be long until you have a list of consistent offenders, and you can start brainstorming ways to make those experiences better. It is easy to play the victim, but you have more control than you think you do.

Author: Benjamin Kolo, Regional HR Business Partner