Vacation is a distant memory. The holidays seem like they're a long time away. And then there are freezing-cold mornings, fewer hours of sunlight each day, and the beginning of office flu season. Feeling down yet?
In other words, 'tis the season for the fall doldrums. And it's evident in workplaces around the country. But we have the antidote. Here are the easiest tips and tricks to crank up your workplace motivation, even when all you want to do is start a GIF war on Slack. These get-it-done tips will help you slay your to-do list, impress your manager, and even impress yourself. Best of all: Some of them take less than two minutes. So get it done — and go home feeling accomplished.
Looking for an easy way to get inspired while still playing CandyCrush? There's no shortage of amazing podcasts centered around women in the workplace. Listening to one on your a.m. commute can help you get in the zone and can be a centering ritual that's a little more Zen than obsessively checkin your Instagram feed.
Need inspiration? We’ve rounded up our favorites, here.
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
Even if it’s just on a Post-It note on your desk, pick a phrase or quote that can inspire you — especially in those "My boss yelled at me and I want to curl up in the corner bathroom stall and cry" type moments.
Check out our favorite quotes here. If that's not your thing, you can even make your mantra your password. (Try something like Pr0m0ti0nin2017.)
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
Remember when you said, “Let’s stay in touch,” and meant it, and then...approximately nothing happened? Former coworkers are great relationships to maintain, even if you’re happy in your current gig. Plus, you can make it a party — inviting professional acquaintances to an "it's fall" happy hour makes the entire event seem much more fun and less network-y.
Not a drinks-date type of person? Schedule a get-together based on your other interests: One R29 staffer has weekly runs with a former coworker, another meets for a monthly breakfast equidistant to both of their offices. Want more ideas? Read our guide to keeping in touch for more ideas.
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
In order to kill it at work, it helps to have someone to keep you accountable. It can be someone in your office, but it doesn't have to be — the point is, it should be someone who's just as psyched for you to achieve goals as you are.
"My friend and I talked for ages about writing a book, but neither of us did anything," says PR executive Jen, 32. "Finally, we made a plan to meet once a week and check our progress. We didn't read each other's work, we just talked about what we did."
But you can apply the same strategy to your own everyday work life: Have a friend text you to make sure you stay on top of a major report, with the understanding you can return the favor for her.
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
Reviews may not be for awhile, but there's no reason not to schedule an informal review to see where you stand — especially if you've just successfully completed a big project or have had your role change substantially.
Get half an hour on the calendar with your boss to discuss performance. You're not asking for a raise or promotion, you're asking about where you can improve, how to maximize your current success, and if there's anything you should be doing.
Leslie, 32, a marketing manager did this and was astonished by what she learned. "I'd been working really hard, so when I set up an informal review, I did so to make sure it was crystal clear to my boss that I expected a promotion during our next promotion cycle. Instead, my boss told me that some of the higher-ups were questioning my commitment to my job because I had been one day late filing a report for a few months running. I had always thought the deadline was flexible — I knew my boss sometimes sat on the report for up to a week, so I genuinely thought she didn't care when I got it to her. Turns out, she did." Leslie began turning in her reports a day early — and ended up getting the promotion.
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
Follow an industry superstar on Instagram. Read a LinkedIn article written by an acquaintance. Retweet a former coworker. As our lives exist more and more online, so do our professional selves. While you don't need to have your work identity be exactly the same as your social media one, having some crossover can be smart.
Plus, virtual networking requires two seconds of effort. You know how good a comment on your Instagram feels? It feels the same for your former coworker.
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
The inbox monster can’t stay slayed forever, but set a goal one day to get it down to zero and you’ll feel a lot better — we promise. You'll also be able to either delete or handle all those nagging tiny requests that pull on your energy.
Not even sure where to start? Check out our handy guide here. And take a trick from Laura, 30, and adopt the "one minutes or less" rule. "If any email takes less than a minute to handle, I just make it a habit to get it done. Losing the e-mail buildup has been huge and I also don't care if I'm being 'polite' or not. I send one-sentence or one-word emails, which I think is a lot better than not responding at all!"
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
Here's a simple way to score major points: Figure out something your boss hates, then do it for them.
Maybe it's spreadsheets. Maybe it's dealing with a certain client. Or maybe it's being the one to take charge of setting up your one-on-one meetings. But whatever it is, figuring it out — and fixing it — can go a long way.
"My boss always had a towering pile of mail in her mailbox. One time I asked if she would be okay if I opened it. She agreed, and was so happy that I had taken the task off her plate. It was no big deal to me, and it was also really interesting to see what sort of physical mail came through. I thought everything was email, but my boss was getting these crazy handwritten letters from literary superstars, which I thought was awesome," says Emma, 23, an assistant to a literary agent.
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
It's nerve-wracking, it's terrifying — but RSVP-ing to an industry event and heading there minus your work-wife can crank up your confidence and expand your network.
Brush up on your conversation starting skills, bring plenty of business cards, stick to one glass of complimentary white wine if offered and you may find you enjoy a lot more than you thought you would.
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
The guy at the front desk, the intern in the other department, the woman who works on a different floor but you constantly see in the elevator... make it a habit to make these people your pals. You don't need to be BFFs or smile if you're having a horrible day, but being generally pleasant can be a sneaky get-ahead strategy.
"I once worked at an office where everyone ignored the admin assistant at the front desk. I would say hi to her all the time while everyone else walked by. We became friends and then she moved to a new company," shares Liz, 33, who works in sales. "At her new company, she was promoted very quickly and actually brought me in to interview when a position came up at her company. She wasn't my new boss, but she recommended me to her boss...and only because I had actually taken the time to get to know her."
Bottom line: You never know who anyone is — or will be — so show the best version of you to everyone at your office.
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
This is one of those nagging to-do list items that easily get pushed —after all, nothing is going to require you to have business cards (well, except for those fishbowl raffles at restaurants). And while business cards might be slowly waning in importance in favor of LinkedIn and Twitter, it’s still an invaluable tool for networking in-person (even if the card just serves to remind people to go home and find you on LinkedIn and Twitter).
If you’re freelance, or your office doesn’t have cards, here are some of our favorites.
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
Your LinkedIn profile is kind of like a cactus — it only requires occasional watering to keep it fresh. But that means it can easily be forgotten. If you haven’t shown your LinkedIn some TLC in a while, make sure your jobs are up-to-date, you have a professional picture, and, while you’re in there, connect with some coworkers. Easy!
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
When you're checking email all the time, you can sometimes get in the bad habit of assuming you'll respond to an email "later." Not only that, but regularly checking e-mail off the clock or in the middle of the night might make your responses sound less polished than what you would have written if you were at your desk instead of in front of your TV.
While it's obviously dependent on what industry you work in — and what your boss expects — having a general "I don't check email after 9 p.m." rule can end up benefiting you by giving you a chance to actually feel off the clock.
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
Career experts say having multiple goals in play at all times is key. Six months should be your immediate projects, assignments, or a looming promotion period.
Your one-year goals should be similarly concrete, with steps you need to take to get there.
The five-year goal mark is where things get interesting: This can be a pretty lofty goal (which may include even going back to school or pivoting to a different industry), and your job is to figure out concrete things you can do this year to get there. For example, want X title by X year? Time to search on LinkedIn to see the career trajectory of people who have the job you want — and figure out how you might be able to take a similar path.
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
Sure, everything important is on email. But here's the reason to clean out your inbox: Because if you don't, your boss (might be) judging you.
"I hate overflowing inboxes," shares Nicole, 38, an editor. "To me, it looks lazy. Like, you can't take the two seconds to pick up these envelopes? In our offices, everyone, including higher-ups and VIPS, walks by the mailboxes, so it doesn't present a good look for the office."
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
Find someone in the field who you admire — not necessarily at your office — and reach out. And mentors are not optional — the right one can have a huge influence on your career.
The trick is to realize mentorship is a two-way street. Instead of reaching out blindly to someone for coffee, send them an introduction email telling them how much you admire their career and seeing if they have a few minutes to chat with you on your own career moves.
Coffee can sometimes be tricky to coordinate, so ask for time on the phone or if they can answer a few questions over email — it's sometimes easier to nail down a yes. And keep up the conversation — send them a link to an article you think they'd enjoy, congratulate them on a recent work accomplishment, or let them know if their advice panned out in a professional success for you. A mentorship is a relationship like anything else, so take your time to cultivate one and know it's okay if you and a would-be mentor just don't click in the long run.
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
Before you dive into the nitty gritty, start with a clear mind — and a clear desk. Take a quick pass through your desk and drawers and do what Marie Kondo would tell you to do — get rid of all that crap that isn’t actually useful. This is also a great time to lug home the tupperware you’ve been stashing in your drawers and do a quick reorganization of your favorite tchotchkes. Aahhh, now, doesn’t that feel better?
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
After college, it’s pretty easy to make your relationship with your alma mater limited to dodging calls during a pledge drive. But many colleges and universities offer free advising past your graduation day.
At the very least, there’s probably an alumni network for you to take advantage of — maybe someone who graduated ahead of you already is in your dream job or field. Joining the alumni network will also allow undergrads to reach out to you — and making yourself available for informational interviews is just good karma.
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
Have you ever been guilty of making a to-do list and making “write a to-do list” the first task, just so you can cross it off immediately? There’s something so satisfying about checking off tasks that we’d argue it can actually make you more productive.
Decide if you think tackling several small tasks in quick succession or finally doing a big task you’ve been putting off will motivate you more, and get to it.
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
It’s official: newsletters are in like it’s 1999. Whether it’s an industry-specific newsletter, or just one about women and business (we like the Broadsheet), it’s an easy way to keep your finger on the pulse with a few clicks (or flicks of your thumb).
Bonus: Knowing what's going on gives you great, non-controversial conversation topics if you and your boss are ever in the elevator together, and great material to Tweet out — having industry-specific Tweets in your feed make it clear you're a key player and know what's going on if anyone stumbles on your Twitter page during a Google search.
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
Meeting about a major client? Fascinating initiative you've heard about on emails? Ask your manager if you can attend the meeting.
She may say no, but asking shows that you're interested in growing in your position and want to understand the larger workings of the organization.
The trick, say experts, is to attend and make yourself useful. Take notes or use what you've learned in some of your work. If you have something germane to the meeting, absolutely feel free to pitch it — but keep it short, to the point, and preferably backed up with research or facts you've already found. In other words, don't attend just to hear yourself talk.
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
Whether you love Google calendar or tend to go old-school on pencil and paper, the point is to stop trying to keep everything in your head. Who are you trying to impress? Taking the two seconds to write something down ensures that you won't commit to meeting with your boss at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, only to backtrack when you realize that's the exact same time as you scheduled a can't-miss phone call.
Sometimes, it can take forever to weed through productivity apps and hacks, but it's worth it. Find a system that works and never miss a meeting again.
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
First, a little psychology: Why are you dreading the project so much? Is it because it requires a ton of bandwidth? Is it because you're not totally sure what your role is? Or is it because it's boring? Knowing that makes it easier to figure out next steps... and finally begin the thing.
First off, if it's a huge project, plan to work on it in 25-minute chunks, a technique known as the Pomodoro method. Schedule two of these a day, and you've already got nearly five hours a week of concentrated productivity.
Don't know what you're supposed to do? Write down your questions and suss out the best person to ask — whether it's your manager, a coworker, or a quick Google search. (I once held off on creating a budget document for months simply because I didn't know how to add Excel fields!)
Finally, if it's boring, why not get it done and plan an end reward? A latte, a night out, or even a purchase you've been eyeing can make it a lot easier to get it done and finally off your to-do list.
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
Things are getting more and more casual in the workplace, which is great. But even if you can get away with jeans or a comfy jumper, your work wardrobe should still be in good repair. This is another great chance to do some mini KonMari-ing. Separate out what needs to be donated or repaired, and make sure any favorite work boots get re-heeled before winter.
Finding your closet now has tons of empty space for sensible skirts and cardigans? Check out our round-up of stores that sell affordable (and quality!) work clothes.
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
HR is not the principal's office.
Repeat: HR is not the principal's office. Here's why you should get to know your reps. They're the first ones who can tell you when a job is opening up, especially if you work in a large company. They can also give you a heads up on employee initiatives, like paying for classes. (And you may be surprised at what they offer — at a previous job, one R29'er got an internship class paid for because she was able to pitch it to HR as helping her public speaking and presentation skills.)
Work for a small company? It's still worth getting to know the HR managers, as they can be the liaison to create company-wide changes you care about — like getting gym membership comped or starting a 401(k) program.
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
Everyone loves free stuff, even if the thing doesn't cost much to begin with. It’s an easy way to make someone feel appreciated. And extra points for taking them along — it’s a good chance to check in. If you’re entry level, then grab coffee for the intern. We’re sure she’ll like the break!
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
Make a list of 50 of your greatest strengths and recent office wins. It's classic work advice for a reason: It works.
Not only does it help you see what's working well, as well as provide easily accessible facts to access during review time, it can also help you navigate your own personal work goals more clearly. How? Let's say you killed it on a few reports. It's a sign you're good at them — so you should feel confident volunteering yourself on any coming down the pike.
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
Picking up the phone and making a call can be intimidating — but career experts say it's key. For one, it's the easiest way to nip any misunderstandings in the bud. Second, calling can help build up a relationship between you and the person at the other end — which can come in handy for the future.
Finally, a phone call can be a lot more energizing than a back-and-forth email chain with over 30 messages in the conversation.
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
Sometimes, all you want to do is eat a salad while reading Slack. And that's fine. But other days, planning out a lunch hour can be an easy way to network or cross loads of things off your to-do list.
"I always used my lunch hour to work on freelance projects," says Kathryn, 32, a designer. "I would bring my laptop to work and then run to Starbucks and bang out assignments. I was given an hour for lunch so it was 'mine' — and loved being able to get all my work done in a work day." Some companies have freelancing policies, so of course check yours before you try something similar, but realizing that you can make your lunch hour anything you want — including a personal "office hour" — is incredibly freeing.
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
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