Category: 1-Minute Strategy

Deal with a constant “What if …” worrier by answering the person with, “What if that did happen? How would you handle it?” By making the situations sound momentarily real, you’ll help a worrier calm his or her fears.

Walk outside during the day to double your odds of exercising. People who regularly walk on outdoor trails are twice as likely to exercise 30 minutes on most days as people who didn’t get outdoors, according to researchers at the University of Utah at Salt Lake City.

Avoid stewing about a frustrating task by asking yourself, “Is there a better way to do this?” “Even if you don’t implement it, just by trying to solve the problem, your whole viewpoint changes,” says executive coach and author Lee Silber. Stretch your creativity by coming up with one new idea each day and writing […]

“Take risks. If you win, you will be happy. If you lose, you will be wise.” — Author unknown

Slice the “ums,” “ahs,” “likes,” “you knows,” and “kind ofs” from between your thoughts. Silence while preparing your next comment exudes more confidence than any filler.

Once a month ask yourself “three A’s”: 1. Assess what has happened over the past month. 2. Affirm what has worked (and consider what has not). 3. Adjust what you do to achieve better results. — Adapted from The Secret: What Great Leaders Know and Do, Ken Blanchard, Mark Miller and John C. Maxwell, Berrett-Koehler.

Never pretend to know or do something that you don’t know, “because you’ll probably get caught and it’ll be difficult, if not impossible, to repair your credibility,” says business networking expert Liz Lynch.

“The world is moved along, not only by the mighty shoves of its heroes, but also the aggregate of the tiny pushes of each honest worker.” — Helen Keller

Carve out 15 to 30 minutes at lunch for something you enjoy, such as walking, reading or doing needlework. You’ll return to work with more energy.

Instead of jumping up every time you have work to deliver, stow it in an expandable file with slots organized by department. Then, take one stroll through the office to deliver everything.