Six things a lot of people Love about the month of March . . .

1. Flu season is finally over.

March marks the end of one of my least favorite things about the winter: cold and flu season. From about November through February, it seems like everyone is constantly sick! When March comes around, flu season is usually coming to an end. Thank goodness!

2. The days are getting longer.

Finally! At the beginning of March, the days start feeling like they’re actually days again. The sun is starting to rise earlier and set later. It’s nice feeling like I have a little more day to be a person.

3. Stuff starts growing again.

Where I am, located in Missouri, things start popping up out of the ground typically in March. Late in the month things really get cooking. Trees have buds on every branch, the grass is beginning to “green-up”, and the flowers are starting to bloom. It’s a perfect segway to lush and colorful landscapes.

4. More outside time.

March is a time to shine in the garden. You can spend hours out there getting it ready to grow again. March also brings some great hiking weather. Not freezing like in December or baking like in July. Juuuust right.

5. Sweater weather.

In March, many of us can finally start getting rid of our bulky winter clothes and start wearing lighter things like sweaters and hoodies. Of course, where I live, you’d better bring a rainproof jacket too.

6. Three words: National Puppy Day.

Every March 23rd is national puppy day, a day that I consider to be important. It raises awareness for all of the homeless animals currently sitting in animal shelters. March 23rd, mark your calendar!

Remember to….

Eight ways to become both a better person and leader

By Hannah Sincavage

Controlling What You Can: Owning Your Personal and Professional Growth

Many things can feel outside of our control or reach. For instance, a person can ask for a raise or promotion, but whether they receive the advancement is not a decision they directly get to make and is ultimately beyond their control. A person can also get stuck in traffic because they have no control over other people’s driving habits or because an accident happened farther down the road. This lack of control over situations and circumstances can be frustrating.

Controlling What You Can

In the modern workplace, it’s important to focus on the factors within our control that can affect our personal and professional growth.

1. Your Attitude

You can decide how you approach situations. You have the option to be enthusiastic, annoyed, or ambivalent. By taking control of your attitude, you can decide how you feel during a task or situation and influence the outcome. If you feel empowered or excited to complete a project, you will probably work faster and more diligently than you would if you were frustrated or annoyed.

2. Your Productivity

Although you can’t control other people’s productivity, you can control your own. You can choose which tasks to focus on first and how quickly and conscientiously you complete them.

Attitude also influences productivity, and by choosing to have a good attitude, a person will be more productive and feel more personal pride in the high-quality work they produce.

3. Your Work Ethic

Do you think that it’s valuable to work hard? Do you feel motivated to work? Are you proud of what you can contribute when you put in the effort? You decide how strong your work ethic is and how much you’re willing to bring to the table every day. By reminding yourself of this, you can choose to work harder and be a team player in your organization.

4. How You Treat Others

Every day you have the opportunity to be kind to others, and you are in complete control over what you say and how you act. By offering support or chatting with your team members, you can show them that you appreciate them and want them to succeed.

5. How You See Yourself

The opinion that you have of yourself can influence how you perform and how productive you are. Do you see yourself as someone who is capable and deserving of respect? By taking the time to develop your skills and self-confidence and become the person you want to be, you can ensure your own personal and professional growth.

Ways to Take Control of Your Growth

Beyond the list of five things that you can control, there are other things you can do to take charge of your development. Even if you are not currently up for a promotion or a growth opportunity, you can still work to improve in your current role and develop in place.

1. Prioritize Your Own Development

Take the time every week to focus on your growth. By reading books, researching, and engaging in development opportunities, you can build skills that you can use in your current position—and in the next one. Whether these skills are in communication, innovation, teamwork, or something else entirely, by taking the time to develop your abilities, you will ensure that you are a better member of your organization.

2. Ask for Support

Let your leader know that you are interested in professional-growth opportunities and what role you would like them to play in the process. Do you need stretch assignments and oversight? Access to other departments or team members? A mentor? A coach? This way, you’ll have support, but you’ll also be the one choosing its form.

3. Ask for Feedback

Before you can improve, you need to be aware of what you can do better. By asking for feedback from team members or leaders, you are taking control over what you know you need to work on. This can also be an exercise in trust as you show your co-workers that you are willing to be vulnerable with them and that you value their opinions.

Professional growth does not need to stem from others or a promotion—and using internal motivation to take control of what you can and develop yourself and your abilities will ultimately be more rewarding. Check out CMOE’s digital course library to aid in your development journey!

About the Author

Hannah joined the CMOE team in 2022 and brings both her unique expertise in writing and her prior teaching experiences to the Design Team and CMOE clients. She earned her Master of Arts in Writing and Rhetoric Studies at the University of Utah. Hannah works with the Design Team to provide innovative learning solutions that meet the needs of each organization.