May’s Top 5 High Vibes

As we dive headfirst into June (how is it already June?!), it almost feels safe to say that gone are the bitterly cold winter months that ravaged us all, and upon us are the endless days of sunshine and hot hot heat! (thought in typing that, I worry I may have jinxed us all into an everlasting winter.)

If you are anything like us, summer brings with it a welcomed pace of slowing down. The sun-soaked days begging for bike rides, picnics, patio hangs, swimming, road trips, camping, beer, gardening, watermelon, boat paddles, staying up too late, adventuring, bonfires, and finding creative ways to keep cool with fellow blissed-out friends… The list is neverending and so much fun!

With that slower momentum in mind, our top 5 for May aims to share a few ways to get ready for and make the most of the days ahead- Tips and tricks to be optimally productive with a minimal amount of effort at ‘work’, while creating ample pockets of time to get the most out of your ‘play’ over the next couple of months.

We may take some time away from blogging over the summer (did you read that epic to-do list above?) but as always, we will continue to share out interesting tidbits across our social media channels. If you aren’t already, feel free to give us a follow and keep in touch-

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Cheers to endless possibility! May 2017 be our best summer yet!

MAY’S TOP 5 HIGH VIBES

1 — SOMETHING GREAT || THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN URGENT & IMPORTANT

Summer offers the perfect opportunity to reflect and recognize the vital difference between the urgent tasks and the important ones. Most of the year, we are consumed by the urgent — View the summer months as your opportunity to spend some quality time on what’s important (but not necessarily urgent).

A recent inc.com article shares 5 ways to get ahead this summer by doing just that- prioritizing the important stuff that is regularly pushed to the side for the sake of the urgent tasks that trump them all the other months of the year.

A few ideas we really love:

• Review your organization’s Mission, Vision and Values
• Review (and recalibrate) your annual goals
• Getting outside your ‘discomfort’ zone (inc.com suggests volunteering or planning to go on a retreat to move beyond the regularly controlled day to day.)

Although this article is addressed to ‘Senior Executives’, we feel there is value that can be pulled from and applied to all levels of any organization.

You can read the full article and make your own summer goals list HERE.

2 — A CALL TO ACTION || PICK A PROJECT

The slower pace of the next few months can be the ideal time to commit to trying something new — whether that’s carving out time to volunteer, hosting a backyard potluck with your neighbours, rekindling a long lost friendship over drinks, starting a letter-writing campaign, or bringing popsicles to nearby friends (or soon-to-be friends) — pick a project that speaks to you, and let June’s challenge be to get it started.

And (if you have them) encourage your kids to be involved! Nothing spreads joy faster than a lemonade stand for charity, dropping off cookies at your favourite library, or collecting bottles from your neighbours to fund a special project… the sky is the limit, and childhood creativity works to your advantage on this one!

We would love to hear what ideas have you excited! Share your summer projects in the comments below, or send us a note via social media.

3 — A MOMENT OF DELIGHT || SUMMER TUNES

Music can have a serious impact on our overall productivity- it’s shown to help us finish monotonous tasks faster and with fewer errors, works to counter the distraction of loud background noise, and at the right decibel, has even been shown to boost creative thinking (you can read more about the music/ productivity connection here.)

In case the above stats aren’t enough for you to drop everything and start jamming to some of your favourite tunes, perhaps one of our current favourite playlists of late will- Created by Sven Buijsen — Tµmmetott — Naggisch Nad Morzem* is the perfect chill vibe to carry you through the summer. Give it a listen and watch your productivity amplify!

*A small word of warning before heading over to listen — the cover image for this playlist contains vintage nudity.

4 — A MOMENT FOR YOURSELF || CREATIVE TIME-OFF

Not all of us are able to take time off during the summer — Despite the gamut of research in support of flexible workplaces — telecommuting, working from home and allowing employees the freedom to create their own work hours (read more HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE) the reality of ‘bums in seats’ and the 40 hour work week is still alive and prevalent for many.

So what can you do if being in the office from 9–5 is a reality?

• Change up your lunch break — bring a blanket to sit on and eat your lunch outside, or bring a frisbee and invite some co-workers to a nearby park to play.
• Take your laptop and work outside of your office or plan your team meetings in the sunshine.
• Plan out-of-office meetings in a nearby park instead of the boardroom or coffee shop.
• If it’s an option, start earlier and leave earlier — freeing up your afternoons to check off some summer activities.
• Plan a popsicle or ice cream break during an otherwise blah workweek — bring in a cool treat to share with your coworkers, or take a team-building walk to the nearest ice cream shop.
• Change up your commute- if you normally use transit or drive, double up on your outdoor time by cycling or walking instead.
• Suggest Friday Happy Hour — wrap up 15 minutes early on Fridays and share a cold beverage with your team before heading off for the weekend.
• Plan a staff appreciation or team building event — the quietness of summer offers the perfect opportunity to show some love to your team that works so hard all year round.

What are some of your creative ways to make the most of the summer while working?

5 — WHAT’S HAPPENING AT CB?

We are SO excited to partner up with REAP Business Association and BDC to co-facilitate a B Corp Bootcamp in Calgary on June 14th. If you are a business wanting to find out what B Corp is all about, what it means for your business, and how your business can be instrumental in being better and doing good for ALL stakeholders, this is the workshop for you!

Measure What Matters 101 || B Corp Bootcamp: Better Your Business

WHEN:
Join us Wednesday, June 14th, 2017 from 8:30am — 12:00pm

WHERE:
Global Business Centre
120–8th Avenue SE, Calgary, AB T2G 0K6
Hosted in the Terrace View Room, 5th Floor

WHAT YOU WILL LEAVE WITH:

• A better understanding of the B Corp movement, why it matters and its relevance to your business
• Why becoming a B Corp makes business sense
• A taste of the B Corp Certification process
• A quick benchmarking of your company’s stakeholder impact

REGISTER ONLINE: yyc-bcorp-bootcamp.eventbrite.ca
Tickets are $20.00

Thank you so much to REAP Business Association and BDC for the endless support now and throughout the years. We couldn’t ask to be in better company.

We also celebrated the successful completion of our 30×30 Nature Challenge for the month of May. You can see a recap of some of our favourite moments from the past 30 days, and find out more about how you can accept the 30×30 challenge here.

Have a great summer, friends! xo