PPB December 2018

WATER COOLER Holiday Slowdown How to motivate yourself—and stay motivated—through the holiday season. The holidays are a time when work-life balance can become a distant memory. Not only has the pace ramped up at work due to increasing demand and preparation for taking time off, but—as we all know—there’s an endless list of errands to fulfill at home. According to a study by Healthline , a San Francisco, California- based consumer health information website, 62 percent of Americans consider themselves to be very stressed or somewhat stressed during the holidays, and only 10 percent consider themselves stress-free. To get through the season, you’ll need to motivate yourself and continue that momentum into the new year. Here’s a few suggestions. 1 Write down your goals. Yes, maybe it’s cliché, and maybe you’ve done this before, but jotting down a list of aspirations can encourage you to keep pace with achieving your goals. Employers, supervisors and managers should encourage employees to perform this exercise as a reverse end-of-the- year review. Remember that part of goal setting requires dedication to task completion. Keep track of what you finish and what you don’t and use this to realign your day-to-day objectives. If your company has an employee mentorship program in place, encourage the mentors to perform similar exercises with their mentees. 2 Be optimistic. Inhale positivity, exhale negativity and keep it that way. Certainly, failure is a possibility, but it’s not clouding your vision. Set an example in the workplace by seeing the glass as half full and encouraging your employees or colleagues to do the same. According to Harvard Business Review , there are six ways to do this: a) be sympathetic; b) offer support when needed; c) practice forgiveness after error; d) inspire each other; e) recognize the significance of every employee's work; and f) approach each other with regard, appreciation and confidence. 3 Treat yourself. Whenever you achieve one of your goals, reward yourself. Develop a recognition program in your business to recognize employees’ achievements. If your company experiences department-wide or company-wide success, plan a way to celebrate. Not only will this recognition communicate the company’s concern for its employees’ well-being, but it will also continue the cycle of motivation and success. 4 Clean. Out. Your. Inbox. Before you break for the holidays, address all projects, answer any inquiries and tie up loose ends. A growing e-mail list is sure to be overwhelming when you return to work, and you’re likely to miss important information, like last-minute deadlines or issues that merit immediate resolution, creating more challenges for when you return. Nix procrastination in the bud, starting with your e-mail. SELLING POINT Bringing Light To Taboo Topics A CEO uses jewelry to encourage conversation about mental health. Jen Gotch, the founder and chief creative officer of Los Angeles, California-based Ban.do, has what some might call a “fluffy” brand. Her products—which include office supplies, handbags, cosmetics, women’s apparel, shoes, tech gadgets and home goods—are ornamented with allover floral prints, hot pink hues and comical sentiments, like, “Breath of fresh air” and “All over the place.” Much of the apparel is brightly colored or adorned with bold stripes or polka dots. Even the pencils she sells include a metallic finish. So, it came as somewhat of a surprise when Gotch introduced a line of necklaces with nameplates that stated the names of mental illnesses, such as anxiety, bipolar disorder and depression. It was a bold move, as many of Gotch’s consumers followed her company, but not her personal social media accounts, where she candidly shared her reasons for creating this line. Gotch, who has admittedly struggled with mental illness throughout her life, partnered with Venice, California-based Iconery, a jewelry brand, to create the line as a way of calling attention to mental illness in modern- day society. In less than 12 hours of releasing the limited-edition jewelry, it was sold out. Gotch has always maintained a candid discussion about mental health on her personal social media handles, having been known to rate her days from one to 10. The necklaces were intended to serve as conversation starters, inviting people to more openly discuss mental illness and related challenges instead of shunning the topic. No longer limited edition, Gotch continues to offer the necklaces in a gold or silver finish exclusively through Ban.do for $48. She donates all of the proceeds from these necklaces to Bring Change to Mind, a nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness about mental health. 74 | DECEMBER 2018 | THINK