Weather hyperbole be damned, Irene looks like she’s going to strike the east coast but hard. Sure you could hunker down and watch a bunch of Netflix and then Facebook your face off, but why not take the next 48 hours of uninterrupted time to work on your career, your productivity, and your creativity? Here’s a list, arranged roughly from the most beneficial steps to least.
1. Gear up for your year-end review…. Now! HR consulting firm Towers Watson just announced that the best workers inside companies will get a 4.3% bump this year. Make sure you’re in the promotion class. There are just four months left in the year, and if you want a little present in the form of a raise and a promotion under your tree this year, you have to make “the ask” and justify it. Get ready by “listifying” your major achievements for the year (this list also comes in handy when you need to update your resume and go out on interviews if you don’t end up getting what you’re looking for). Then schedule a meeting with your boss for next week.
2. Give yourself an online makeover. A rainy weekend is the perfect time to turn your LinkedIn profile from a nottie into a hottie. We suggest getting your profile to “100% completed” and upgrading your photo. Study your competition (the people in the jobs you would most like to have) to see how they’ve positioned themselves using their profiles. Then get editing.
3. Enjoy a little connection catharsis. Get rid of the piles of business cards lying on your desk. Simply open up LinkedIn, look up each contact, and invite them to connect with you. And toss each card as you go. It’ll feel good. (And while you’re thinking about your career, head to Smith Magazine to enter the final challenge in its Six Words About Work contest: “the biggest lesson I learned from work.” The deadline’s tomorrow.)
4. Reach out and touch your references. If amping up your job hunt is in your very near future, this is the weekend to reconnect with old bosses, colleagues, and anyone who can vouch for you. Send a nice note, invite them to “Take Back Your Lunch” with you. The week before Labor Day is a great time to get people out of the office. (And NYC has extended Restaurant Week through September 5th, by the way.)
5. Build a single to-do list. Get rid of all those stickies attached to your computer, and the random lists in random notebooks. Put them all on Good Todo, an app that will CHANGE YOUR LIFE. With this nifty tool, you can forward emails to your to-do list as soon as they hit your inbox. Uncluttering your email will free your brain for more creative endeavors (see #6).
6. Read a book (and we know just the one). We just launched the Hired Guns Book Club. We’re into productivity porn as much as the next guy, and you can rest assured that Todd Henry’s the real deal. His book, “The Accidental Creative: Be Brilliant at A Moment’s Notice” will make a dent in how you think, work, and operate. All month, Todd will be answering your burning questions about how to maximize your own brilliance. So, don’t be shy. Throw a few his way on our blog: we just started reading.
7. Go all Gunzy on us. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. And then go vote for all of the fellow Guns who are trying to get into SXSW. We notice who’s following, we really do.
8. Gorge yourself on TED videos. Forget Netflix, Ted videos (a new one is added every weekday) will change your point of view on just about anything.
One of my favorite TedTalks is Jill Bolte Taylor’s talk about how her massive stroke affected her own research into brain disorders. List your favorite TED Video on our Facebook page.
9. Invent your own world record. Everyone knows that constraints spur creativity, and we’re sure you’ll want to slap your roommate or partner in the face with a slice of pizza after being pent up for 24 hours too. But we encourage you to go figure out your own thing. And be sure to put it on the internet when you do (really, it’s a very good idea to support your personal brand).
10. Allow us to earworm you. Come on Eileen Irene…
