The beginning of the year is a great time to reflect and reset. There is a communal energy that flows through us that can be used as an inspiring launch pad to better outcomes in the New Year. We’ve compiled some of our best pLink insights to help you make this New Year one of your best years at work. Try one, or try all ten!

1. Be present or be absent but don’t be both. Make a concerted effort to be fully present for anything you say yes to. Enough with going to meetings and missing half of it while you catch up on email. Or signing up for leadership development when you have to leave halfway through to attend another meeting. Presence is power.
2. Make generous assumptions about your co-workers, bosses, and direct-reports. Our brains’ negativity bias makes it easy to jump to negative conclusions about people’s actions. Make it a practice to make your assumptions generous.
3. Clean house. Purge your files, delete old emails, and clean off your desk. Create the energetic space for the new and inspiring to enter your work domain in 2018. Clear workspace makes for clear headspace.
4. Be a better boss. If you are leading people, do them a solid and become a better leader. Most people want to work for a kind and inspiring boss. Begin by getting familiar with your reactive tendencies; ask your direct-reports what they wish you would do more of.
5. Live your character values. Know your values and live and work in alignment with them to maximize your energy and your positive feelings at work. Values can be hard to put language around because we recognize them as feelings when they are trespassed on. Take the free Character Strengths Assessment: VIA and get to know your top 5 values.
6. Increase your complexity of mind. What?! My mind is already overwhelmed with the complexity in my life and work! Increasing complexity of mind is about growing your consciousness to handle more complexity with ease. The world is not getting any more stable or simple, so spend time this year expanding your consciousness to meet the demands of a VUCA business world.
7. Elevate your intelligence. Challenge yourself to expand your mind and learn something new in 2018. Read a business book each month, read an HBR article every Friday morning, or tune into a 10-minute podcast on leadership (try ours) on your way to work, or during a short walk after lunch on Wednesdays.
8. Become more emotionally agile. The best resource we’ve found on this is Susan David’s book “Emotional Agility”. Practice recognizing your emotions and how they are influencing your outcomes.
9. Crystalize your intentions. Rather than write a long list of resolutions or to dos, imagine it is December 31, 2018 and you are reflecting on all the great things you’ve achieved throughout the year. Write yourself a letter describing your intentions in detail. “It’s the end of 2018 and I’m so proud of myself for ______ at work. My health is_______. I’ve been able to tackle my habit of _______________. My team at work was successful at_________.” Paint a clear vision of what you intend to bring into reality this year and work towards it all year. Make a habit of reading it once a month.
10. Show up. This year, get courageous and keep showing up. Be you, be authentic and show up fully for every win, every failure, every disappointment, and every celebration. Be fully present for everything that shows up this year. It’s all here to teach you something!

In 2018, pLink Leadership is making a habit of providing positive leadership development in a format that meets the demands of your busy schedule. We love our clients and empathize with how busy leaders are in the rapidly changing environment. We’ve designed our virtual leadership labs to help you keep pace with the change, learn with your global colleagues and still get your day job done. Check it out and see if it’s a fit for you and your team.