Does the summer break already feel like so long ago? If that holiday glow and relaxation didn’t last as long as you wanted, you’re not alone.

New research indicates that the mental health benefits of a holiday unfortunately fade quicker than a tan. The study found that it takes us just three days to get back into our normal level of stress. Fortunately, there are ways you can hold onto that holiday feeling all year round.

Incorporate Holiday Habits

Morning sleep-ins, days spent outdoors in the sun, having long chats with family and friends, enjoying delicious food and drink, not being tethered to your phone – no wonder we feel more relaxed on holiday than we do in our day-to-day lives!

While most of us don’t have the luxury of sleeping in and turning up to work when we feel like it, you can incorporate some of your holiday habits into your regular working week. This can be as simple as taking regular breaks and scheduling in some outdoors time, whether it’s finding a park near the office, or going on a bush walk on the weekend. You might also like to opt for a screen-free day and instead pick up a book or have a board game night.

Take Smaller Breaks

Your leave allowance and financial situation may only permit you to take a small time away from work, but rather than just focusing on long holidays, try to also take regular breaks.

This could be weekends away or even just a day spent in a different town close to where you live, acting as a tourist and exploring the area. Just a day of adventuring will add some novelty into your schedule and allow you to unwind without needing to take an extensive period of leave or to travel far.

Rethink Your Workday

Rethinking your workday can improve your productivity. If you have the flexibility to do so, you may find changing your hours can have a positive effect on your productivity and motivation. For example, if you’re someone who struggles to get going before mid-morning, starting work later can have you feeling fresher and more alert.

It can also help to split your day into 90-minute windows to allow you to focus on a set number of tasks. Doing so can improve your efficiency and give you more free time as a result.

Reduce Stress

We all know that excess stress is bad for us, but it can be near impossible to remain relaxed and care-free. Being on holiday and away from our regular lives can provide insight into what we are stressed about.

If the constant beep of notifications on your phone grates on you, having phone-free time can help. Maybe you feel under pressure at work or have an unmanageable workload – can you discuss these concerns with a colleague, boss or HR? A cause of stress can even be not having enough to do and being unsure of your purpose, in which case it could be helpful to reach out to a mentor or life coach for guidance. Whatever it may be, identifying your stressors will help you work towards reducing them.

Develop A Positive Mindset

Hand-in-hand with being more relaxed is having a positive mindset. Our holidays give us much to feel grateful for, such as the freedom of movement and access to beautiful locations, which we may have taken for granted pre-COVID-19.

In our everyday lives, rather than pining for that next holiday, think about what you are grateful for. This focus on gratitude and positivity makes it much easier to enjoy the day-to-day, and may lead you to adjust your priorities to reduce stress and improve your overall happiness.

We hope you all have a happy, prosperous and fulfilled year and we’re here to help if you need a hand. Enjoy your present, with a positive mindset.

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The start of a new year is a great time to reassess where you are in life, your career or business – decide what you want to achieve and put some strategies in place to work towards achieving even your most ambitious goals.

The start of this new year is a little unusual as for many of us, 2020 was a challenging year. The hopes and dreams we had for 2020 may not, in many cases, have come to fruition as planned, whether they were related to your business, your career or personal in nature, were put on the back burner. So let’s look at how to ensure that 2021 is the year to get things back on track and achieve what you are aiming for.

Let’s start with the fundamentals, it’s impossible to get to where you are going, if you don’t know the destination and challenging to make the journey without a road map of how to get there.

Identify Your Goals

This involves some soul searching. What do you want for yourself personally and professionally? What are your priorities? Do you want to climb the corporate ladder and set your sights on that senior management position, or spend more time with loved ones? Have you got an idea for a new business or are you wanting to take your existing business to the next level?

Make sure you are specific about what you want and don’t be afraid to aim high. Studies show that specific and challenging goals lead to higher performance than “do your best” type of goals.

Once you’ve identified your goals – jot them down. People who write down their goals, have been found to be 33 percent more successful in achieving them. There is something very powerful about the written word.

An Incremental Approach

Once you’ve got an idea of what you want, it’s time to devise some strategies to achieve them. It’s important to dream big but sometimes big dreams can seem intimidating. The way to make a big task less intimidating is to break it into smaller tasks and approach it incrementally. What do you need to do to set yourself up for that management role? Do you need to go back to study? Start taking on more responsibilities at work?

Set up your plan with things you need to do which will act like a series of stepping stones leading to your destination.

Allocate Time and Resources

The next part of your strategy is to think about what you need to have in place to support each incremental step in your plan. Do you need to set aside time on a daily basis, each week or every month? Do you need financial support or a loan? How will you access that support?

You don’t have to go it alone – think about whether you can get some external assistance in the form of a mentor or just someone you can use as a sounding board. If you are running a business there may be government support packages you can access or external consultants you can engage to help you on your way.

Staying The Course

It takes discipline to stay on target when there are so many distractions along the way. Make sure that your strategy has some review points at particular times or when you have completed the tasks you have set yourself so that you can celebrate your wins and recalibrate the plan if necessary.

If 2020 showed us anything, it was that the best laid plans can and will change and be subject to circumstances beyond our control, so it’s important to have some contingencies in place. Even more importantly, be agile in your approach so that you can adjust and refine the plan as needed.

Having a strategy and a methodology to implement your strategy will give you the best chance of reaching your goals in 2021 and beyond. Add in a dash of determination and self-belief and you’ll be flying high on your way to the success you’ve dreamed of.

Contact us today on myadviser@moneyclip.com.au or 02 9299 2292 to discuss what is important to you, and how we can help you to achieve your goals.

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Goal setting is one thing – achieving your goals is something else entirely. So what makes the difference between a goal that is achieved and one that falls by the wayside?

Research has shown that people who achieve their goals are more likely to do so because they create a vision of their future and are emotionally connected to their goals.

Goal Setting For The New Year

This time of the year is often when we come up with goals, but despite positive intentions, we can easily lose sight of them.

There are different approaches to goal setting. SMART goals are often recommended as they’re more considered and measurable, as you follow specific steps in establishing your goal. However, they’re not fail-safe though – a leadership study found that people who set SMART goals are less likely to love their jobs, and only 14% of respondents believed their goals would help them achieve “great things.” The study found that many of us don’t strive for difficult goals, which is where HARD goals can help.

H.A.R.D Goals

HARD goals connect your vision to your emotions and values, which then really push and challenge you to achieve great things. They comprise of four elements: Heartfelt, Animated, Required and Difficult.

Heartfelt

There’s no use setting a goal you have no connection with. For example, climbing the corporate ladder or buying a home, common goals for many of us, don’t resonate with everyone – if they don’t, you’re unlikely to strive to achieve them.

Instead, hone in on what truly matters to you and how you want to feel. If you have visions of a relaxed retirement, financial freedom at the end of your working life will motivate you. Or perhaps that entrepreneurial spirit wants to be set free to start your own venture. Whatever it is, ensure your goals align with your vision and focus on the outcome.

Animated

Whether you’re naturally a visual thinker or not, by animating your goal you are picturing exactly what it will look like. By visualising your goal, you’re making it real and building a deeper emotional connection to it.

If you want to grow your business, visualise customers walking in the door or travelling to a new destination to set up a new office. If you want to change careers, see yourself in that field, talking to your new co-workers and learning the skills you will need. This image will provide ongoing motivation and will drive to achieve your outcome.

Required

This element reduces the risk of procrastination, as you’ll be clearer as to why you need to meet this goal. For instance, you might set a goal around doing further training, setting specific courses to complete in the year, in order to progress your career.

You can explore what is required to achieve your goal by considering if it would happen should you not meet it. For example, if you plan on running a marathon, clearly a running schedule and fitness regime is necessary in order to meet your ultimate goal.

Difficult

Just as the name suggests, HARD goals aren’t meant to be easy – and you’ll get greater satisfaction meeting difficult goals. Identify what it is you want to do but are hesitant about in case you fail, or perhaps even if you succeed!

While you don’t want to create goals so difficult they’ll be impossible to reach, you want them to be a challenge and of great importance to you. Perhaps it will be learning a new language, when you’re not much of a linguist, in order to apply for that job overseas, or to work your way to the top position in your company by taking on more responsibilities.

At the basis of all goals is a desire for change. Picture the future you want and then work steadily towards it.

Get in touch with us today if you need support with your finances or for advice on how to make your goals possible. You can contact us on: myadviser@moneyclip.com.au or 02 9299 2292.

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Checking emails late into the night, reaching for your phone before you’ve even had breakfast to start your working day, the ‘lunch break’ that involves a Zoom meeting – the lines between our work lives and our personal lives have never been blurrier.

While there are many advantages to always being in the loop, getting things done quickly and having some flexibility in where, how and when you work, there is a real cost to our ‘constantly on’ way of working.

According to a 2018 study by Gallup, 23% employees reported feeling burned out at work very often or always, with an additional 44% saying they sometimes felt burned out. 2020 brought with it further challenges to work-life balance, with a survey by online employment platform Monster finding that 69% employees were feeling burned out mid-year.

Work-life balance means quite distinct things to different individuals and, it turns out, the way we manage and achieve balance differs markedly between different personality types. Given this balance is something we can all struggle with at times, it’s worth being familiar with your personality type and how this impacts your work-life balance.

Understanding Your Personality Type

The Harvard Business Review identified four aspects of personality of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator – extraversion or introversion, sensing or intuition, thinking or feeling, judging or perceiving.

Whether or not you have done the Myers-Briggs test, having a deeper understanding of your personality will help you understand how you respond to challenges. For instance, if you are more towards the extrovert end of the scale, being with others will re-change your batteries, while introverts need alone time to reflect.

If you are a sensing personality you are more comfortable tackling one thing at a time, while those who tend to intuition thrive when juggling many balls in the air.

Those who are thinkers need to watch that they are not perceived as too blunt in their communications with others and those who show feeling traits need to ensure they nurture themselves.

And finally, those who show judgement traits will thrive within the structure of set hours, such as 9 – 5, whereas perceivers love the flexibility of setting their own work schedule.

Attaining a Work-Life Balance

We’re all different, yet everyone benefits from having clear boundaries around their time and by identifying their priorities. If you have found your working hours have crept into your downtime, try to set specific times to check your email and attend meetings. If you prefer a more flexible approach, ensure you’re making time for friends or family and participating in hobbies you enjoy.

When setting goals, pay attention to how many of them relate to your career and how many are focused on other important aspects of your life, such as your health and relationships. It’s easy to just focus on one area and neglect others, so make a conscious effort to attend to those that have been forgotten about. Where can you put more of your attention and what needs to give in order for you to divert your energy to this area?

Setting SMART goals is a helpful task for all personality types to do – you just might do them in different ways. For instance someone with sensing preferences might reflect more and need to look at the bigger picture in order to set goals, while an intuition preference can mean that person will go with a gut feeling but would do well to focus on one thing rather than setting lots of goals.

It’s fair to say that work-life balance is never going to be a perfect equilibrium all the time, however you can put steps in place so that you can enjoy both work and play.

Contact us today for assistance when planning for life’s milestones on or 02 9299 2292.

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COVID-19 is resulting in significant disruption to well-established business paradigms, impacting businesses, sectors and stocks across the board. 

However as Albert Einstein once said “in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity”. That certainly rings true in 2020 as analysists predict significant changes in the types of businesses that will prosper through the crisis and beyond, with certain sectors and types of businesses dominating others. 

At a time where our movement has been constrained in an unprecedented way, sectors relating to the movement of goods, data and people are being heavily impacted by the crisis but are also well positioned to capitalise on the changes brought on by the pandemic. 

SUPPLY CHAIN AND LOGISTICS EMBRACE TECHNOLOGY

The pandemic has significantly impacted many bricks and mortar businesses, yet online shopping has boomed. Australia’s e-commerce industry had a growth of over 80% in the two months after the COVID-19 pandemic was declared by the World Health Organisation.

Yet this boost to e-commerce has brought its own challenges. Back in April 2020, Australia Post was delivering an estimated 1.8 million parcels each day, which resulted in lengthy delays to delivery times. Meeting the demand for timely deliveries, avoiding supply chain disruption and bottle necks has called for innovation in logistics. 

While demand may not remain at the heightened COVID-19 levels, experts are predicting long-term shifts, such as micro supply chains and decentralising of manufacturing capacity. Also critical to the creation of smart and nimble supply chains and effective logistics is the use of technology to drive efficiencies and manage significant fluctuations in demand. 

DATA MOVEMENT AND SECURITY A FOCUS FOR BUSINESS

It’s clear that where people’s physical mobility is limited, fast and secure movement of data is critical. 2020 has seen innovation being applied to find new ways to secure, verify and exchange business-critical information. 

With many workers based at home, this shift to a hybrid workplace means a change in workflows as well as the immediate need for security measures to protect networks, as staff are no longer using their corporate networks. The increase of Zoom calls, for example, has meant becoming more aware and prepared for the potential of cyber hacks.

Businesses need to ensure their systems are robust and well-tested as we move to an increased reliance on technology. Expect a stronger emphasis on collaboration tools, workflow management and data protection. 

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRAVEL

Suffice to say the travel industry has been one of the hardest hit during the COVID-19 pandemic. There’s no doubt travel will surge once restrictions loosen, although this industry is one that will see profound change as it adapts to the post-COVID landscape. 

Airlines are struggling to navigate uncharted territory. The ones that survive this crisis will have to be strategically creative to find a way to prioritise public health and sustainability, all the while maintaining profitability. 

With more rigorous sanitation requirements, the quick turnaround times budget airlines have relied on may not be possible, meaning fewer flights and at a higher cost – this will change the budget carrier landscape substantially and make travel less accessible for some. 

Longer term trends emerging from the crisis will include greater automation driven by public health and budget constraints, and changing consumer preferences such as holidaying closer to home. 

Public transport will also be impacted, as the need for distancing will restrict the number of passengers allowed to travel. Less congestion on our roads may be the silver lining to more flexible working arrangements, with some people continuing to work from home. This ability to work from anywhere will make it possible for an increasing number of Australians to relocate to regional areas.

The term ‘new normal’ has been expressed many times already and for good reason – lives have changed permanently. Only time will tell what life will look like post-pandemic, but there will be more changes as society emerges from the pandemic that will impact how we live, and these will drive innovation in the way businesses and industries operate. 

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