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The last time I wrote a Work Wednesday post was before the holidays, and I think we all could use a little motivation throughout our work week. This is my fifth Work Wednesday series and each time you all send me topics that you would like to see covered, or I write what is going on in my work life at that moment that I can share with you all. Unless you are retired or do not have to work, most likely you are going into an office and working at least 40 hours a week. We all have been there at least once in our life and a lot of us are still working. The one thing that I always try to think about is how do I wake up and make my day a success today. We might not want to wake up and wish we could lay in bed all day, but we know that is not going to happen. Making your day a success so that you can go out to the work place and network and be a mentor to someone else is key to your success in the work place. Below are some of my tips on to make your day a success.

Tips to Make Your Work Day a Success

• Wake Up With a Good Attitude: This is sometimes the hardest thing to do especially when you want to snooze your alarm about 50 times, trust me I am guilty of this. When you wake up spend a couple of minutes of your day in gratitude whether that is in prayer or meditation before fully getting up. This little small action will set the tone for your whole day going forward.
• Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff: You might be driving into work and there are 5 wrecks and you spill your coffee all over yourself, that is bound to happen at least once. I even left my laptop at home yesterday and had to use a loaner laptop. Try to get ahead of the game and plan, but know that little things that are beyond our control are inevitable. Keeping your words and actions to more important items throughout the day will help you have a more successful day.
• Write a Manageable To-Do List: I know that this can be old school, but having a list that you write out everything you have to do that day or little reminders is key to having a successful day. Sometimes if I don’t write it down I won’t remember it from all of the emails that I receive throughout the day. Also keeping this list to your top 3 most important tasks to do that day is key as well. I could add at least 30 items a day of things I need to do, but having at least your top 3 will make your day feel more successful if you are able to cross those items off at the end of the day.
• Prep in Advance: If you know that you have a meeting that you have to lead or a presentation to give, remember to prep in advance. You do not want this to be the first time that you have reviewed the topic or agenda the day of. Reviewing the notes, creating the powerpoint, or any other prep work that you do need to do before, try to do in advance.
• Smile and Be Friendly: This is something that my co-workers always tell me that I excel in is my attitude. I have always believed that if you smile and are friendly no matter how stressed you really are at work, it will make the day even better. Still having time to say hello to a coworker or helping someone who needs assistance with the printer for instance when you are extremely busy, contributes to your overall day’s success in the long run.
• Ask Questions: I am not afraid to ask questions and do so lots of times throughout the day. I even ask the same questions on topics that I still do not feel 100% clear on. In the long run it makes your day that much more successful because you are not spending lots of times doing the wrong thing or not fully understanding something. Trust me it may seem nerve wracking or intimidating, but if you don’t ask you might be doing something wrong and in the end that is less successful.
• You Will Fail: Not every day are you are going to be successful. Some days a million things that could go wrong will go wrong, it is inevitable and just a way of life. If you did not have those days then would you even be successful at the end of the day? It is not about what all you achieved and got perfect throughout the day, but it is about your attitude and how you handle situations that are not ideal that come your way. In the end it is all a learning experience and most leaders have failed way more than they succeed.
• Learn When to Log Off: This is a very hard tip to make your day successful, but it is critical in your overall well being. I have a hard time with this and will look at my clock and realize that I have already been at work for 11 hours sometimes. Now with email on our iPhones we can constantly stay connected through email at work. It is all about work/life balance and finding that comfort area and knowing when to walk away and come back in the morning. If you prioritize, prepare, and have the right attitude you should be able to accomplish what you need to during the day time anyway.

These tips are some that we can all try to work on to achieve throughout our careers. Some of them are much harder than others, and trying to excel in each of these will take time if not an entire lifetime. It is important to understand that for the most part it is all about your attitude and how you adapt to situations that will happen at work. If you let failure take control then you will never be successful. Learning to accept that failure will occur, and having a good attitude through it all will ultimately make or break your success throughout your work day.