Okay, Monday Motivators, it's already the second the week of January. What did you do last week that demonstrated "live your life on purpose"? (Our Jan 4 2010 topic)

1. Take on a new task or project. See what your manager is working on and ask that they delegate a piece of that project to you. Your manager may have to teach you that piece of the project but that is how you will expand. When I was an admin, I often asked my executives to show me various aspects of their daily tasks or special projects. I told them if they invested time in teaching me, I would save them valuable time in the future. This gave them freedom to focus on other important projects.
2. Register for a course, workshop, or webinar that challenges your thinking. Before doing so, give yourself an honest assessment. Evaluate your strengths, areas to enhance, and your weaknesses. Then determine your goal. Is it to: make a strength even stronger? Enhance an area where you are somewhat talented but need to go to the next level? Develop an area that you feel is really weak? Then search for options and select a program that best fits that need.
3. Be a leader of the other admins in your organization. I often did this during my career. This has a three-fold purpose. One is that you grow as an individual; two is you help others grow; and third, management views you as a go getter! I have seen many administrative and executive assistants embrace training. They have become Certified Trainers of our Star Achievement Series! And even more admins have led a team through our 26 Weeks to Administrative Excellence free video series. Or another idea is to start an admin team.
4. Join Toastmasters. Jasmine actually did this in 2009. It came in handy as I had asked her to speak at our annual administrative conference last October. The skills you develop by giving formal presentations help you in your everyday life. Toastmasters and other similar classes build confidence and teach you how to communicate your thoughts in a way that makes sense. Again, these are skills you can use every day.
5. Mentor a new employee or a novice administrative assistant.
6. Teach your manager one thing this week. It might be related to technology; how to use your sophisticated office phone system; how to use color coding for emails; how to have daily huddles with you and more. Don't wait for your manager to ask for help.
7. Vow to finish reading 1 educational book this week.
8. Join a professional organization and actually attend the meetings.
9. Respond to a blog, if you have never done so!

Have a terrific week.