How aware are you of you throughout your day? Your week? If your response is “not very,” my goal is to help you change that and increase your overall well-being and productivity. It’s a Win-Win! So, what do I mean by “how aware are you of you?” I am asking about how you feel cognitively, emotionally, physically. Are you able to focus? Do you feel motivated? Are you content? What is your stress level? How does your body feel? Do you have nagging aches and pains? Are you able to engage in the activities you enjoy? Do you complete the tasks you have planned? These are examples of the first M-Monitoring. If you answered NO to any of these questions, we need to look at the second M-Moderate. What needs to change? Do you need to get more rest? Do you need to identify time to get up and stretch during the day? Do you need to set a different expectation or create a new plan?
Without the Monitor and Moderate Strategy, we can become the hamster on the wheel, running and running but never getting anywhere. This can lead to frustration and burnout as well as decreased motivation and increased stress. How do you implement the Monitor and Moderate Strategy? Step one is to identify what areas you would like to Monitor. Examples include: Am I on schedule to complete the tasks I identified for the day? Is this approach effective? What is my level of fatigue? Am I experiencing increased pain or discomfort? How am I interacting with co-workers/family/friends? What is my level of stress? Once you have the answers to these questions, you can then begin to Moderate.
What does Moderation look like? Depending on your situation, Moderation may include adjusting your schedule and creating new deadlines. Moderation may include adjusting your approach and asking for assistance. It may include setting timers to stretch throughout the day to release muscle tension or taking scheduled breaks for short walks. Moderation can also include increasing down time in your schedule to allow for time spent with family/friends or engaging in a hobby.
Following is a sample action plan to implement the Monitor and Moderate Strategy.
1. Identify areas to Monitor. These areas may include items for which you have received feedback from others or you may recognize as areas for personal growth.
2. Create specific questions related to each area and keep these questions visible.
3. Identify specific times in your day to review the questions and responses. Schedule these times into your calendar and set a reminder.
4. Be honest with your responses but not critical of yourself.
5. Identify those areas in which you are not meeting your expectations and prioritize the areas you would like to Moderate. Choose one or two areas to begin to address.
6. Create your Modification Plan. These plans can include approaching a task in a new way, re-working a deadline, asking for assistance, or changing the order of completion of tasks, just to name a few.
If you would like more information on the Monitor and Moderate Strategy or ways to increase your efficiency, please contact me at doreen@thecogntivecoach.net or call me at 732-977-7381.
