Processing Your Payment

Please do not leave this page until complete. This can take a few moments.

Updated: January 10, 2022 10 things

10 Things I know about ... What to cancel in 2022

Julie Bowditch is manager of UMass Cancer Walk and Community Fundraising of UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester.

Cancel culture is a topic for its own article, but we are all guilty of establishing bad habits holding us back. Embrace one, a couple, or all 10 of these concepts in the new year and watch your potential expand.

10) Stop wasting time. The pandemic has revealed some very inefficient processes. Figure out the most streamlined, yet thorough, way to accomplish your work.

9) Stop interpreting “no” as rejection. Hearing the word “no” can be a painful blow to our egos, but it can be part of a valuable learning opportunity.

8) Stop relying entirely on digital communication. It’s tempting, sometimes even necessary, to have conversations over email, text, and chat. But even video calls can lack nonverbal communication. When possible and safe, meet in person, especially if the agenda may be contentious.

7) Stop pretending to be an expert at everything. Lean on your team or seek outside assistance when needed. Being aware of your weaknesses is as valuable as leveraging your strengths.

6) Stop doing business in the past. Identify and let go of your prior expectations.

5) Stop expecting your staff to be superhuman. While efficiency has never been more vital, you will end up in a far more challenging position if your seasoned, reliable, and loyal (if imperfect) employees are burnt out.

4) Stop ignoring your instincts. Our first instinct can be to question our own instincts, but what if we learned to trust them instead? They’re there for a reason.

3) Stop rejecting feedback. Criticism can be tough to swallow. Chose to embrace it instead of taking it personally. We just might become better versions of ourselves.

2) Stop talking about it. DO IT. Throughout 2020 and 2021 we had [valid] excuses galore. So, it’s time to get serious about what we choose to accomplish.

1) Stop doing the same thing and expecting different results. Change is hard. If you’ve calculated the potential risk, analyzed the possible reward, and the math works, go wild.

Sign up for Enews

WBJ Web Partners

2 Comments

Sharon Tonelli
January 19, 2022

This is a great article, thank you!

Anonymous
January 10, 2022
Nice suggestions, Julie.
Order a PDF