Type A+ Tips to Start the New Year
The ‘New Year, New You’ nonsense is in full swing, and it’s so easy to fall back into the swing of perfectionism while trying to look forward to a fresh, blank calendar.
We’re trying to achieve balance while ticking off the to-do list, and I have a few tips to be more efficient, effective, and enthusiastic about your goals, whether they be related to work projects or personal passions.
Read on for some of my favorite tips from the first 2 seasons of The Type A+ Podcast:
Email More Efficiently
One of my favorite guest tips from season 1 is from Amanda Jefferson, on owning your inbox. In this video, Amanda shows us how to set up a priority inbox in Gmail, and a great way prioritize and declutter so that you can focus on the most important communications.
Own Your Finances
Guest Khalil Dumas shared little habits that drive big change, including, surprisingly: “Don’t deprive yourself of joy.” Rather, make sure to take your lifestyle and prioritize a category for things that make you happy, like going out to dinner or having a date night at the movies. Deep dive: In this budgeting guide, Khalil shares his tried-and-true way to begin determining—and sticking to—a budget.
Plan Time Off
So often, our calendars fill up with external obligations before we can even begin to conceptualize what we want our year to look like. In this episode with Dr. Aly Goldstein, we discuss why taking time off can be difficult—and why it is so critical for overachievers and perfectionists. If you’re looking for ways to optimize your time each week, here’s a quick tip from season 1: Create an ‘ideal work week,’ which includes time to prioritize yourself, your health and wellness, and family and friend engagements. Include blocks of time for each project, task, deliverable, or client engagement and blocks for calls and deep work. Don’t forget to include breaks, like lunch, to make sure you are not burnt out!
Don’t Try for Perfect
Remember: Perfectionism doesn’t exist! As Karen Lemke points out, perfectionism is a ‘seesaw’ of ups, downs and self-criticism that keeps us from finding joy in our lives.
Say “No.”
In this New Year and always, it’s okay to say “No” to things that don’t align with your current needs, abilities, or desires. Make sure to evaluate why you may want to say yes, and take an honest look at your schedule before committing to anything outside of the essential. Saying ‘no,’ many times, is actually saying ‘yes’ to yourself.
I’m excited to be back this year, with new guests and dynamic conversations, to shed light on the ways that being Type A(+) can serve us and create opportunities, and the ways that it holds us back.
Happy New Year, 2024—make this the year of you!