Over the years, I’ve adopted a variety of Microsteps, which are relatively simple and tactical things that help me manage what is, oftentimes, a chaotic work and life dynamic.
In order to stay organized and priority-focused on a day-to-day basis, I rely heavily on Evernote, which is my go-to digital “to-do” list and note taking application. At work, my role involves talking to many external parties, such as prospects and partners, where a high volume of information is shared. Given the sheer number of conversations and information-gathering that take place when performing opportunity analysis, and the need to recall critical details (especially when presenting ideas to our executives!), Evernote enables me to stay on top of things no matter how chaotic life gets.
I started this practice because things were very dynamic during my first several years at Yahoo, and I was regularly working 85+ hours per week. During that time my manager encouraged me to implement digital note taking, which helped enormously.
Another helpful Microstep is making time to connect with other V-Teamers in a more social and less “high stakes” capacity, which helps me maintain a sense of humor and perspective when things get frenetic at work. Our team still regularly implements team-building activities like a weekly (virtual) happy hour, as well as a bi-weekly meeting following our regular team meeting to simply talk, share ideas, and work through obstacles that we may be facing as individuals or as a team – not unlike therapy! In general, I find that it’s a great morale builder and promotes team building to interact as a group in a less formal context.
Outdoor exercise is another Microstep that I’ve practiced consistently over the years, which has helped me enormously to manage stress and maintain high energy levels. Although I ran competitively when I was in college, I do so now for fun and to disconnect from the daily pressures of work and life. Whether it’s a function of the endorphins that the body releases when running, or simply a matter of experiencing different environmental stimuli, getting out on trails to run helps me think and process stress much better than when I don’t make the time to do so. I also plan a couple of trips each year to meet up with friends where we do multi-sport and adventure activities like mountain biking, kayaking, and mountaineering, which always inspires me and provides something to train for.
Whereas I used to think of carving time out of my schedule for exercise during the middle of the day as “taking away from work,” the Thrive workshop has shifted my perspective on this topic. Now I think about the tangible benefits that I experience as a result of movement and exercise outdoors — e.g. high energy level, stress management, better mental outlook — and I see them as being critical to performing at an optimal level at work.