Mom was Right. Simple Habits Pave Our Way to Success.
Even seasoned professionals may find it difficult to admit that Mom’s advice was on target when she nagged us about getting enough sleep and standing up straight.
A recent Bloomberg column, “How to Improve Your Job Performance in Two Seconds,” discussed the importance of posture in the quality of work. Millions of years ago, the author wrote, if you were sitting or lying down, the chances were pretty good you were in a relatively safe spot and could let your guard down. But standing up or moving around meant you were extra attentive – the difference between finding food or becoming prey.
Even today, our bodies retain those ancestral tendencies, wrote Seth Porges. “Depending upon how you hold yourself, there could be huge differences in how your body operates, which could have major implications for office workers looking to boost their productivity.”
Not only does good posture prepare us to do our best work, it helps ward off negative thinking and a defeatist attitude. A slumping, cowering position, in fact, may indicate we’ve lost our drive or initiative – and show the world that we’re vulnerable.
In contrast, Porges notes, coming to attention ramrod-straight boosts our heartrate and readies our bodies for concentrated efforts. And getting up even for a few moments to use the restroom or grab a glass of water can help boost your brain and zap you out of your midday slump. Studies have shown that subjects had an easier time recalling pleasant experiences and optimistic memories when they sat up straight.
Some of Mom’s other advice is relevant in today’s workplace.
1. Declutter Your Workspace.
Even if you don’t think you’re noticing the disorder, a messy desk hurts your ability to focus. “Attention is programmed to pick up what’s novel,” says Josh Davis, director of research at the NeuroLeadership Institute. A recent Harvard Business Review study showed that a clean desk helps you stick with a task longer.
2. Determine Top Priorities.
People are more efficient at things that come naturally, while tasks that feel like a struggle can impede progress. Consider delegating the duties that feel like an effort and instead focus on high-value activities.
3. Make a Plan. Stick to the Agenda.
Keep meetings short by limiting agendas to three items or less, with instructions afterward so that everyone knows what to work on.
4. Banish Distractions.
Put non-agenda items into the “idea parking lot,” says Cary Greene, coauthor of “Simple Sabotage: A Modern Field Manual for Detecting and Rooting Out Everyday Behaviors That Undermine Your Workplace.” Write them down and set another time for discussion.
5. Get Enough Sleep.
Aim for eight hours a night and consider, if you can, taking a midday nap.
6. Put Down Your Phone and Pay Attention.
Unless your turn your phone fully off, it’s a major distraction. Researchers have found that even if you don’t look at your phone when it buzzes, the sound makes your mind wander.
Though hard to admit, Mom was essentially our first CEO. Just as she told us as youngsters to stand up straight and get plenty of sleep, following her suggestions years later in our workplace can make a difference in our road to success.
A recent Bloomberg column, “How to Improve Your Job Performance in Two Seconds,” discussed the importance of posture in the quality of work. Millions of years ago, the author wrote, if you were sitting or lying down, the chances were pretty good you were in a relatively safe spot and could let your guard down. But standing up or moving around meant you were extra attentive – the difference between finding food or becoming prey.
Even today, our bodies retain those ancestral tendencies, wrote Seth Porges. “Depending upon how you hold yourself, there could be huge differences in how your body operates, which could have major implications for office workers looking to boost their productivity.”
Not only does good posture prepare us to do our best work, it helps ward off negative thinking and a defeatist attitude. A slumping, cowering position, in fact, may indicate we’ve lost our drive or initiative – and show the world that we’re vulnerable.
In contrast, Porges notes, coming to attention ramrod-straight boosts our heartrate and readies our bodies for concentrated efforts. And getting up even for a few moments to use the restroom or grab a glass of water can help boost your brain and zap you out of your midday slump. Studies have shown that subjects had an easier time recalling pleasant experiences and optimistic memories when they sat up straight.
Some of Mom’s other advice is relevant in today’s workplace.
1. Declutter Your Workspace.
Even if you don’t think you’re noticing the disorder, a messy desk hurts your ability to focus. “Attention is programmed to pick up what’s novel,” says Josh Davis, director of research at the NeuroLeadership Institute. A recent Harvard Business Review study showed that a clean desk helps you stick with a task longer.
2. Determine Top Priorities.
People are more efficient at things that come naturally, while tasks that feel like a struggle can impede progress. Consider delegating the duties that feel like an effort and instead focus on high-value activities.
3. Make a Plan. Stick to the Agenda.
Keep meetings short by limiting agendas to three items or less, with instructions afterward so that everyone knows what to work on.
4. Banish Distractions.
Put non-agenda items into the “idea parking lot,” says Cary Greene, coauthor of “Simple Sabotage: A Modern Field Manual for Detecting and Rooting Out Everyday Behaviors That Undermine Your Workplace.” Write them down and set another time for discussion.
5. Get Enough Sleep.
Aim for eight hours a night and consider, if you can, taking a midday nap.
6. Put Down Your Phone and Pay Attention.
Unless your turn your phone fully off, it’s a major distraction. Researchers have found that even if you don’t look at your phone when it buzzes, the sound makes your mind wander.
Though hard to admit, Mom was essentially our first CEO. Just as she told us as youngsters to stand up straight and get plenty of sleep, following her suggestions years later in our workplace can make a difference in our road to success.
