Fast Company Asks Employees of Top Tech Companies Their New Resolutions

Making resolutions for a new year is easy, but getting them done is another issue. Even the most productive of people often find it hard to stay true to the promise they’ve made to themselves. Kicking bad habits and developing good ones can only be made possible if you do it step by step and consistently. Fast Company talked to people from Google, LinkedIn, and Twitter and they were asked what bad habits they’re trying to get rid off, what they’re doing instead, and why they’re doing them. In the midst of the dynamic and fast-paced working environment they’re in, here are seven things that they have started to do:

OPT FOR PHYSICAL OR VIRTUAL DISCUSSIONS

I’m dropping the need to chime in every email.” – Luke Leonhard of Google

According to Google’s Luke Leonhard, a product strategist, he’s making “physical conversations” his “default” communication. Rather than spend time composing an email and missing on the chance to see people, he made a new rule of talking instead of sending emails. He connects with those outside of the office remotely through video apps. Leonhard noticed that since he began doing this, he spends less time using his keyboard for emails and more time to interact with people. As a result, he confessed that his workday became a bit more fun.

LEAVE THE PHONE BEHIND

I am going to be present and fully engaged and will enjoy every moment working with talented teams to solve problems and come up with new strategies. The rest can wait – the moment is more important!” – Erica Lockheimer of LinkedIn

One bad habit that they’re doing away with is bringing their phones in meetings. Periscope’s senior manager Sara Haider feels strongly about this issue. It’s highly likely for almost all people working to be guilty about putting their phones on the meeting desk and just switching them to silent mode. And while tech employees are among these mobile-phone dependents, they are not immune to the distractions the phone brings. To stay more engaged and focused in discussions, they made a pact with themselves to go to meetings ‘alone.’ After all, people have survived before the invention of mobile devices.

USE CALENDAR APPS

I’m going to start using the calendar app to plan out my duties for the week and let go of making constant in-the-moment decisions.” – Wade Morgan of LinkedIn

Twitter’s global brand strategy head Alex Josephson said that he wants to get rid of his reliance on “old-school organizational habits” such as notebook and pens and replace these with apps such as Google Keep. He explained that doing this would enable him to travel light during meetings and reduce his carbon footprint. Another techie from LinkedIn, Wade Morgan, is also into paper reminders not so long ago but has decided to let go of these for calendar apps to plan ahead and be more efficient.

FILTER NEWSLETTERS

I can keep my work inbox organized and clutter free.” – Fadia Kader of Twitter

The senior manager of music partnerships at Twitter, Fadia Kader, has started to clean up her inbox by unsubscribing from emails and newsletters for which she does not have time to read regularly. Perhaps those who have the FOMO syndrome (Fear of Missing Out) would tend to sign up for as many information materials as possible, but in the end, if you do not have the time to read all of them, they will just clutter your inbox unnecessarily.

TAKE LUNCH WITH COLLEAGUES

Eating alone is not a break, it’s isolation.” – Ish Verduzco of LinkedIn

LinkedIn’s Ish Verduzco, an event coordinator, and social media coordinator wants to bond with and learn more from people to expand his knowledge. Sure, there may be the days when we simply want to take a bite while staying put in our post to beat a deadline or make a quick trip to the pantry to eat alone. But people like Ish see the value of being with a few colleagues while enjoying lunch and sharing a table with different colleagues each time. This approach lets you take a quick breather from work and learn something new from the exercise. As a result, also, you can enhance the relationships you have with your workmates.

DON’T OBSESS OVER BEING PERFECT

I’m no longer spending time making internal presentations pixel-perfect.” – Luke Leonhard of Google

Aside from opting for face-to-face interactions instead of relying heavily on emails, Google’s Luke Leonhard is done with spending so much time perfecting his presentations. If he used to obsessed with “pixel-perfect” results, he now takes to Templates and Slides Explore to come out with still great-looking presentations. The new habit has saved him twenty minutes which he intends to use in other productive ways such as learning a new language or exercising.

GET ENOUGH REST AND SLEEP

I have stopped pretending that sleep isn’t important, so I have made it a point to get some this year.” – David Roter of Twitter

Twitter’s agency development head David Roter has finally acknowledged the importance of getting enough sleep. He revealed that he has begun burying his sleepless-nights routine by making gradual adjustments such as keeping his mobile phone as far away from the bedroom as possible and doing some meditation daily. He observed that with these small changes alone, he feels more focused and alert during the day.

And there you have it, the techies’ resolutions which they have started to do this new year. Adopting any of these tips can surely do wonders to your own work life.