A Fresh Start For Us All – Labor Day

August 29, 2013 by Stephanie Potash

Hope everyone has an enjoyable labor day weekend!  For many of us, Labor Day brings back memories of the first day of school.  New clothes, school supplies, an empty locker, clean desk and a fresh start.  Now as professionals in the work force lets keep that nostalgia alive and use Labor Day to mark a different kind of fresh start!

Here are Five Ways to bring that “fresh start” to our work for Labor Day!

1. First off, Labor Day is a day to celebrate laborers and workers.  So think about all that you have accomplished recently and give yourself a pat on the back.  A lot of times we don’t look at how far we’ve come or grown over the past year since we are constantly in the hustle and bustle of things and we don’t get a “summer vacation” to reflect.  So this weekend reflect on this.  Realizing your capabilities and accomplishments will only make you more confident and successful in the future!

2. You no longer have a fresh clean locker at school to open up on the first day of school, but post Labor Day take a few minutes and really clean your desk.  Having this clean desk will help you re-focus your attention and help you with that “fresh start” feeling of rejuvenation.

3.  Stop Criticizing!  Not all criticism is bad but sometimes it can be overwhelming and ruin your whole mood.  With this fresh start and new “back to school” attitude look at ways to solve problems instead.  Also even if you may not agree with upper-level decisions, instead of criticizing, figure out ways to make them work, and it may make more sense once you put them into practice.

4. For me, the first day of school marked a clean slate where I would make goals for myself for the upcoming year.  Now in the workforce I try to use this weekend to make new goals for myself.  Contemplate your goals.  What are your goals for this “school year”?  Once you have a few goals lined up, brainstorm the ways you will reach those goals.  Having a game plan will lead to more success in reaching your goals!

5.   Sometimes you lose your spark, your passion, and your energy from being at work every day.  Bring back that “back to school” energy and enthusiasm by learning something new, joining an alumni association, going to a seminar with a motivational speaker, checking out your peer’s work to inspire you, listening to music – really whatever can pump you back up!
So it seems like you may have some homework this Labor Day!   Let’s see if you can bring that first-day-of-school you back into your life today!

Happy Labor Day!