ARE YOU PREPARED?
by
Lael Johnson

Are you prepared emotionally, mentally and physically to do your each working day? Or do you arrive ill-prepared, in one way or another, at the beginning of your work day?
Barring policies that you cannot control, and could influence the outcome and your productivity, have you ever found yourself involved in any of the following situations?

For example:

1. Do you work on a project when you aren’t feeling well?
2. Do you work on a project when you are distracted?.
3. Do you work on a project in cluttered workplace?
4. Do you work on a project in a less than supportive work environment?
5. Do you work on a project in an unsafe work environment?
6. Do you work on a project with an incomplete work team?
7. Do you work on a project with incomplete instructions?
8. Do you promote your business without any business cards?
9. Do you promote your business without marketing or business plan(s)?

If you find yourself in a situation similar to these, then you need to stop and engage in some deliberate and clear journaling about your situation. You need to give yourself some written work preparation time.

How can you use journaling increase to increase your work preparation and productivity? You can use journaling to problem-solve, communicate and to reflect.

Problem-solving: You can write an entry about the work situation, including the pros and cons and any other pertinent information that will help you clarify and change your actions, thoughts and feelings.

Communication: When you need to discuss this situation with bosses, team members or potential team members, you can write several entries of dialogues, in preparation for planning sessions. You can also write entries of dialogues between yourself and other members of your team, in order to clarify your opinions on pertinent issues.

Reflection: Before, during and throughout your project meetings, you can continue to record your observations, concerns, questions and successes with this project. You can also continue to learn from each situation and apply the following questions to future projects:
1. Are you setting unrealistic expectations for yourself or others? If so, what are they?
2. Is someone setting unrealistic expectations for you? If so, what are they?
3. What result are you looking for from this project?
4. What result are others looking for from you in this project?
5. What result would you rather not have happen at the end of this project?
6. What result would others rather not have happen at the end of this project?
7. What resources will you need to complete this project?
8. How do your core values fit or not with this project?
9. How do others’ core values fit or not with this project?

When you are willing to prepare yourself mentally, physically and emotionally, via problem-solving, communication and reflection then you will be able to arrive prepared to begin each new work day.
I hope that you find this article helpful. Please feel free to comment on it here or at my blog.

(c)2008. All rights reserved. Writer’s Eye Advisory Service. Lael Johnson