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There are countless reasons to put off working on a project. Maybe you’re daunted by the size of it, or the deadline is far off, so you don’t feel urgency to get moving. Whether your procrastination is the result of perfectionism, negative thought patterns, or even boredom, there are easy changes you can make to increase your motivation and complete high-quality work without missing deadlines.

Take charge of your day

It’s easy to find excuses to not take action. I don’t have time. I’m too busy. I’ll do it later when things calm down. To move beyond procrastination, you need to take charge of your time.

• Don’t let external demands control your time. Deadlines and mundane tasks are likely a part of your days. Take charge of your schedule.
• Minimize interruptions. Turn off your Teams, Outlook, and text notifications if you can. Block off time on your calendar. Prioritize your tasks. Ask yourself: What needs to be done now? What can wait until later?
• Figure out and respect your preferred working methods and energy levels. Consider when you’re most productive and schedule your day accordingly.

Set small deadlines

If you sometimes feel like you’re accomplishing nothing, it may be because your idea of getting something done is too big.

• Focus on the wins, no matter how small. Set small goals and interim deadlines throughout the day.
• As you hit each small target, you’ll build momentum and feel motivated to strive toward the next goal.

Achieve an optimal level of positive stress

We all face stress at work — deadlines to meet, unexpected problems to solve. It may sound counterintuitive, but a little stress can be a good thing. Positive stress can give you the energy you need to stay motivated. The key is to achieve an optimal level of healthy stress.

• Know your limits. Find a challenge you can realistically take on.
• Don’t be complacent. Push yourself to achieve great things, one step at a time. Remember that a challenge should stretch you without breaking you.

Collaborate to stay engaged

When we pool our resources and expertise to work on a task with others, we share ideas, discuss options, and develop ideas as a team. One person’s enthusiasm might inspire you. New eyes bring new perspectives, which may help you look at a task in a new way.

• To ensure your collaboration is effective, be sure you have a diverse group to offer different perspectives.
• Allow some quiet space to build on the ideas that emerge.
• Effective collaboration can be structured or informal.

Try these techniques to help you take action and leave procrastination behind, and look into self-paced, online elevateU resources for further motivation and guidance.

Earth Day is April 22– there are plenty of ways to celebrate our planet’s special day. While green initiatives such as recycling are a part of our daily routines, take Earth Day as an opportunity to promote living an earth-conscious lifestyle year-round. Whether you work from home or you are heading into the office, use these tips and resources to go green: 

Use the MSU Recycling Center: The MSU Recycling Center always leads the charge for reusable materials at MSU. The center is open seven days a week for dropping off materials. These materials can be anything and everything from books, cardboard, glass, plastics, and more! Find their hours along with what and how to drop things off at the MSU Recycling Center website. 

Join the Waste Warriors: The Surplus Store & Recycling Center’s Waste Warriors program cultivates waste reduction and the utilization of waste as a resource by training and empowering the MSU community to promote these practices among their peers. By becoming a Waste Warrior, you join a group of like-minded staff and faculty from across campus who each pledge to be part of the solution that will lead MSU down the path to zero waste.

Shop at the MSU Surplus Store: The MSU Surplus Store and Recycling Center rethinks the way the MSU Community disposes of its used materials. Our innovative program allows us to reduce the amount of university material that goes to the landfill, keeping MSU green. Shop from a variety of items, including books, electronics, furniture, office equipment, vehicles, and more.

Join MSU Arbor Day: Can’t make it to campus Earth Day festivities? Join Beal Botanical Garden and IPF Landscape Services as they celebrate Arbor Day and the 150th Anniversary of the Campus Arboretum! Adopt a tree to take home and plant, learn about MSU sustainability resources, and help us plant 150 trees and shrubs along the Red Cedar River. Each planting volunteer will receive a special gift! Meet at The Rock from 11:00-2:00 PM on April 26.

Pack Up, Pitch In: The Student Life and Engagement Sustainability Office is looking for volunteers to help with collecting and packing non-perishable foods from the residence halls during finals week (April 22-26). These efforts will directly benefit the MSU Food Bank, MSU Safe Place, and the sustainability of the MSU community. 

Experience Wellbeing in the Garden: Rest and relax in the Beal Botanical Garden while enjoying nature during the week of April 22. Activities such as guided journaling and plant explorations will be available for all attendees. 

Volunteer at the Beal Botanical Garden: Volunteer opportunities with the Beal Botanical Garden and Campus Arboretum span far beyond Earth Day. Explore gardening, training opportunities, and ambassadorships to help benefit the campus and our Earth. 

Use MSU Bikes on Campus: MSU Bikes provides support with commuter resources to help you bike to work with confidence, including a 1-on-1 Bike Commuter Assistance service which helps you find the safest, lowest-stress route to and from campus to your neighborhood. MSU Bikes also rents bikes to departments for staff to use during the work day with their Department Fleet Services.

Limit Car Use: While there is no getting around long commutes, take any opportunity to walk, and use MSU Bikes, or  CATA buses to limit emissions from your vehicle. No destination in mind? Explore these campus walking maps to find your new favorite trail!

While Earth Day is just one day out of the year, it can serve as the perfect opportunity to jumpstart your sustainability efforts and connection with our planet. Making your pledge to the planet will benefit you and our Earth greatly. Go Green!

April is Stress Awareness Month! Daily stress has the ability to take an enormous toll on our mental/physical health. Managing our stress levels is essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle and well-being. MSU has a multitude of different resources to help reduce your stress:

Activities

• Campus Meditation Map: Beal Scholar, Anhad Viswananth, created this incredible meditation map to highlight the best spots to meditate around campus. 

• Live Music and Connection: University Health and Wellbeing invites you to join them on April 25, 26, and 28 from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. to take a break, connect with the community, and enjoy time in the beautiful spaces across MSU. Bring your lunch, relax with colleagues, and enjoy live music from local artists.

• Staying Active: Watch your stress dissolve as you become more active this spring. Warmer weather is on its way and it’s the perfect time to get outside and run, kayak, walk, or swim. Join a biking group in the Greater Lansing area or an MSU Recreation group fitness class to stay motivated. 

• Walking at MSU: There are many things to see and do on MSU’s 2,100 acre campus. Follow these various MSU campus walking tours to make the most of our beautiful campus. 

Learning Resources

• Taking Time Away from Work: Taking time away from work, in the forms of breaks, vacation time, or strengthening boundaries around employees’ workdays, is important. View these resources to learn more about balancing your time and work schedule. 

• The Importance of Decluttering: Check out this article from the WorkLife Office to learn more about how mess causes stress and the importance of decluttering your space and mind. 

• Stress Reduction: MSU Health4U has plenty of resources to help you reduce your stress levels. Learn more in their Stress Reduction series of articles. 

• Employee Assistance Program: The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a confidential short-term counseling and referral service provided at no cost to MSU faculty, staff, graduate assistants, retirees, and their insurance-eligible dependents who are located within the state of Michigan. Classes and resources to help reduce stress are updated on the EAP website often.

• Avoiding Burnout: This article will help you learn how to avoid burnout and what to do if you’re experiencing it.

Stress can look different for each individual so be sure to take care of yourself using these resources and beyond. Have another resource you’d like to add to the list? Let us know in the comments!

This week’s featured job is a Web Content Manager for the Eli Broad College of Business (job posting 939708). The Eli Broad College of Business works to create and disseminate knowledge through collaboration and develop global transformational leaders who positively impact organizations and society. 

In this position, you will oversee projects and platforms that allow the college to communicate via its website and related digital mediums. This position plays a key role in creating and maintaining the college’s digital strategy, balancing the maintenance of existing digital communication platforms while improving the user experience and anticipating future needs. You will also maintain vendor relationships, provide project management, assist in creating appropriate processes and workflows, ensure compliance with university accessibility and branding standards, provide documentation and training needs, and ensure support and customer service are available to platform users. 

You will collaborate with college leadership, marketing and communications staff, and key stakeholders to align actions with MSU and Broad College’s vision and mission. You will regularly review the college’s digital presence and recommend viable best practices to ensure a positive user experience. You will assist with planning and anticipating budget requirements for web platforms and services. You will also attend related MSU meetings such as Web Dev CAFÉ, University Communicators Network (UCN), Digital Accessibility Liaisons, etc. 

You will maintain and enhance digital platforms including WordPress, by identifying needs and working with vendors to meet those needs. You will maintain a relationship with Squiz and ensure proper configuration and use of Funnelback search. You will ensure compliance with MSU branding standards via collaboration with University Communications. You will ensure appropriate infrastructure and metrics are in place for monitoring effectiveness of digital efforts including use of Google Analytics. 

You will manage the website creation process, responding to needs for new websites and web-based resources while enforcing website and content lifecycles, archiving content and websites that are no longer needed. You will manage email lists for newsletters and send them via iModules (Broad Weekly, alumni newsletter, etc). You will also manage product task backlogs and prioritize processing them. 

The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor’s in Computer Science or a related field and three to five years of related work experience. Desired qualifications also include demonstrated experience with content management systems such as WordPress, Imodules, Mailchimp, or other email CRM systems, Google Ad Words and Analytics. Excellent copyediting and proofreading skills with knowledge of AP style is desired. 

To learn more, visit the Eli Broad College of Business website. To apply for the position, please submit a resume, cover letter, and three professional references to the MSU Careers website by April 23, 2024. 

This week’s featured job is a Chief Financial Officer for the Division of Student Life and Engagement (job posting 938618). Comprised of the office of the senior vice president and six departments, Student Life and Engagement (SLE) touches nearly every aspect of the Michigan State University campus by providing support and services to MSU students, the campus community, and guests.

The SLE Chief Financial Officer will provide oversight for budgeting, general accounting, and financial reporting for the Division of Student Life and Engagement while assuring financial internal controls are in place to ensure adherence with GAAP and compliance with all applicable federal, state, and university policies and procedures. This will include oversight of the two BFS units responsible for operational and financial analysis. You will participate in strategic and organizational planning, including formulation of goals and objectives for the division, as well as making recommendations for major business decisions. In this role, you will establish, monitor, and enforce internal controls for multiple business operations with a $272 million dollar budget.

You will be responsible for the planning and maintenance of all financial reserves and will plan, review, direct, and advise division financial liquidity and cash flow requirements. You will also participate in the annual room and board rate setting and approval with MSU Administration and the Board of Trustees. 

In this position, you will be responsible for developing, overseeing, and maintaining appropriate internal controls and conducting process reviews as needed as well as assisting with all staff development. You will interact with management throughout SLE and MSU and explain policies/answer questions pertaining to divisional finances. You will also interact with the Board of Trustees and may be asked to represent SLE at Board meetings. You will oversee third level management in a large, centralized unit and aid units throughout SLE as it relates to financial analysis. 

The ideal candidate will have a master’s degree in business, accounting, or a related field, along with three to five years of related experience in education, government, or industry experience in planning, finance, budgeting processes, and budget development/analysis of audit/financial compliance standards. Desired qualifications also include certifications such as Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license, Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) designation, or Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) designation. 

To learn more, visit the Division of Student Life and Engagement website. To apply for the position, please submit a resume, cover letter, and three professional references to the MSU Careers website by May 2, 2024. 

This week’s featured job is an Executive Secretary for the Office of Principal Gifts in University Advancement (job posting 936100). University Advancement works to promote MSU’s excellence and enrich its future by building a culture of engagement and philanthropy. The Office of Principal Gifts provides creative and visionary leadership in the coordination of fundraising endeavors at the multi-million dollar level and across university-wide programs.

The Office of Principal Gifts is seeking an organized, strategic-thinking, and experienced professional who is able to work to a high degree of accuracy while under pressure. You should have excellent communication and customer service skills with a demonstrated ability to establish and manage multiple high-level relationships with complex, multifaceted organizations successfully and simultaneously.

In this position, you will coordinate, schedule, and confirm internal and external meetings and appointments for the Office of Principal Gifts staff, among other duties. Given the nature of the meetings and the high level of individuals involved, the scheduling of these meetings is complex; most include multiple attendees who also maintain complex schedules. You will also coordinate meeting logistics and assist with presentations, reports, and communications.

Other job duties include developing and managing a centralized electronic-filing system and distributing reports to individuals. You will also assist with fiscal officer responsibilities, including coordinating annual budgets with the Executive Director while forecasting/monitoring team member reports. 

Knowledge equivalent to that which would normally be acquired through a bachelor’s degree or high school education along with five to eight years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in maintaining account ledgers, word processing, editing, desktop publishing, composing correspondence, taking dictation, spreadsheet, database and/or presentation software is required.

To learn more, visit the University Advancement website. To apply for the position, please submit a resume and cover letter to the MSU Careers website by April 18, 2024. 

Are you looking for activities for you and your family in the upcoming month? There are events (in-person and virtual) on campus and in the Greater Lansing community. Many events require registration, so be sure to click the links to learn more

Campus Events

April 1- Institutional Diversity and Inclusion Speakers Series: Join Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer Jabbar R. Bennett, Ph.D., for a conversation with Bryan McKinley Jones Brayboy, Ph.D., dean of Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy, and the Carlos Montezuma Professor of Education and Social Policy, for a talk on Indigenous Knowledge Systems. Registration for this free event is required. 

April 1 – 30 – MSU Earth Month Events: Join an action-packed month ahead this April to celebrate Earth Month with plenty of opportunities to Be Spartan Green!

April 5- Red Cedar Cleanup: MSU Infrastructure and Planning Facilities is hosting the Red Cedar River Clean-up.   This event will start at The Rock and will be open to all faculty, staff, students, and community members.

April 2-14- Moulin Rouge! The Musical at The Wharton Center: Moulin Rouge! The Musical will be at The Wharton Center from April 2-14. Purchase tickets to the show on The Wharton Center website. 

April 14 – Spring Showcase: Lights, CTRL, Action: MSU’s CTRL+A will host its annual spring showcase event on CTRL+A’s birthday in the MSU Union Ballroom. Six years ago, on April 11, CTRL+A officially became an MSU Registered Student Organization. Come join and see showcase performances to celebrate the organization.

April 19- Spartan Upcycle Friday: Drop in and explore creative reuse and upcycling by repurposing materials sourced through the MSU Surplus Store & Recycling Center. 

April 20- MSU Football Spring Showcase (free): Michigan State Athletics will welcome fans to Spartan Stadium on Saturday, April 20 to get a first glimpse at head coach Jonathan Smith and the 2024 Spartans when it hosts the Spring Showcase at 2 p.m. 

April 22-25- Wellbeing Break in the Garden (free): Reset and relax in the Beal Botanical Garden at noon for a week of wellbeing activities. 

Family-Friendly Activities

April 10-20- Capital City Film Festival: The Capital City Film Festival (CCFF) celebrates artists from around the world by curating outstanding multimedia experiences for the community. The annual festival showcases an eclectic mix of independent films, live music, interactive media, and more in Michigan’s capital city. Passes and tickets to showings are available on the CCFF website. 

April 13- Earth Bash: Join us for a family-friendly event focused on reducing waste by practicing the principles of a circular economy. Tour the recycling center and vermicompost hoop house. Get creative with Spartan Upcycle. Freecycle clothing and books. 

April 11 – Take Your Child to Work Day: MSU employees are encouraged to
bring their child, or a special child in their life, to celebrate the many career, educational and entertainment events we offer right here at MSU! This annual event highlights the university’s support for its employees, their families, and all MSU community members. MSU Units and Departments will host tours and activities geared towards kids ages 8-17 and younger ages are welcome. MSU employees will be able to participate by bringing their child to their workplace and attending the activities and tours being hosted by MSU units all across campus. Registration is encouraged. 

April 17- East Lansing Public Library: Michigan Mussels with US Fish and Wildlife (free): Join US Fish & Wildlife Service Imperiled Species Coordinators Finn and Julia for this fun, interactive, and educational program all about Michigan’s mussels. Registration for this event is required as space is limited. 

Health and Wellness

April 4 and 18- Deepening Your Essential Skills (free): This webinar is an opportunity for people who have completed any course offered by Spartan Resilience Education to continue their learning, ask questions, raise topics, and build community with other learners from across the MSU community. Registration for this free event is required. 

April 15- Rest With Music: Enjoy this free event at Abrams Planetarium with live musical performances to help you relax during your busy workday. Registration is recommended. 

April 20- Earth Day Extravaganza at Fenner Nature Center (free): At the Earth Day Extravaganza, you can sign up for the morning shift (9 to 11 a.m.) or the afternoon shift (12:30 to 3 p.m.,) or both. During your shift, you can select a conservation or stewardship activity like picking up trail trash, pulling invasive species, maintaining trails, or participating in updating the Playscape and working in the pollinator garden.

April 2,9,16, 23, and 30: Chair Yoga: Chair Yoga adapts some of the traditional poses of yoga to be done seated, or while standing and using the chair for support. Stretching, reaching, bending, and breathing – and no mat required! 

Learning Opportunities

April 5- Fatherhood Forum (free): The Fatherhood Forum is for fathers who want to enhance their greatness as parents, their loved ones and supporters. Enjoy breakout sessions exploring fatherhood, child development, healthy parenting, self-care, and more. Registration for this free event is recommended. 

April 9- The Power of Habit: Habits are predictors of long-term performance, but we struggle to manage our habits and achieve the outcomes we want. In this course you will learn how habits are created and how to replace undesirable habits with productive ones. You will learn how to spot your habit loop, turn bad days into good data, and create habits that get the results you want.

April 9- Managing Meetings: Use this program to better plan, lead, and follow through on your meetings and enhance team productivity, coordination, and cohesion.

April 10, 17, 24- Breaking Free from Stress: This course will help you become aware of how your own thought world operates to bring you your personal reality of your work and personal life.  

April 11- Beal Botanical Garden: Our Strategic Plan in Action (free): Join MSU Libraries for a lunchtime tour of the Beal Botanical Garden to learn about programmatic and physical changes to the garden from Interim Director Dr. Alan Prather. The audience will be introduced to Beal’s new strategic plan and how we will be using it to help illuminate the connection between people, plants, and places. 

April 11- Resilient Leadership Series: Explore with other campus leaders some essential resilience skills required for effective leadership in the first part of this series. 

Leap Day gives you an extra 24 hours once every four years. So, what are you going to do on your extra day? Here are a few ideas:

• Stop by the MSU Dairy Store for a sweet treat to celebrate 2024 having 366 days.

• Pay a visit to the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum to check out the newest exhibitions such as Seeing in 360 Degrees: The Zaha Hadid Design Collection.

• Take a scenic walk along the Red Cedar or the Lansing River Trail – by yourself or with a friend.

• Organize your house, email inbox, or your mind. Take this time to sort through all of the tasks you may have been pushing to the side.

• Try something new! During these few extra hours you can stargaze, listen to a new album, try out a new recipe, or go rock climbing. 

Have a great Leap Day!

In an ever-evolving world of uncertainty, kindness can go a long way in changing someone’s day. This week is Random Acts of Kindness Week, and Random Acts of Kindness Day is observed annually on February 17th. Established in 1995, this day was created to promote positivity, unity, and harmony across all different types of people and groups. We embrace the spirit of this day by encouraging everyone to engage in random acts of kindness in the workplace and the Spartan community – not just this week but every day!

Small acts can have a big impact. Whether you are holding the door open for a stranger or complimenting a fellow employee, random acts of kindness are a great way to brighten someone’s day. Simple gestures promote connection, bridging the gap between two people. Here are some ideas to celebrate Random Act of Kindness Day in the workplace: 

• Show Recognition: to recognize a co-worker for their hard work, assistance, or value, give them a shout-out during a team meeting, or send them and/or their supervisor an email to share your experience. You could also nominate a colleague for a Spartan shout-out in the InsideMSU newsletter by filling out this form. 
• Check-in with your Co-workers: Between the increasing demands of work and home life, people are feeling more stressed than ever. Luckily, studies show there is a powerful antidote to stress: kindness. According to Forbes, “Kindness works because it helps people feel more connected with others, and it distracts them from their own problems. Happiness is significantly correlated with belonging and community—so it makes sense kindness would be a source of joy” (Forbes, 2023). Check-in with your co-workers to see how they’re doing and really listen to determine what small acts of kindness you can do to help brighten their day. Just the act of actively listening with your full attention can do wonders to show others you care and are there to help. 
• Support a New Employee: starting a new position can be intimidating. Reach out to a new employee and offer your assistance as they navigate their new role. Your support will help them feel welcomed and more connected to the team. 
• Celebrate Success: whether your team has just completed a challenging project or it’s a co-worker’s work anniversary, don’t let the moment pass without acknowledging the contribution and value of each team member.  
• Volunteer: Volunteer work is one of the best ways to promote kindness and positivity in the community. Join Spartans near and far on Give Green Day on March 12 to help current and future students. Find more volunteer opportunities with the Greater Lansing Food Bank, MSU Gardens, MSU Safe Place, Office of Sustainability, MSU Center for Survivors, Office for Civil Rights, Spartans Serve, and more. Volunteering helps foster community, build social bonds, and address social challenges. 
• Support the University’s DEI Efforts: Build your cultural awareness and understanding to promote a sense of safety and belonging for all employees. Learn cultural awareness and inclusiveness skills through HR’s DEI courses, elevateU online learning opportunities, and WorkLife Office events and training. 

Together as Spartans, we can contribute to a better workplace and community by embracing the unity and positivity that prospers from kindness.

 Sources: 

Brower Ph. D, T. (2023, January 15). Retrieved February 6, 2024, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/tracybrower/2023/01/15/stress-is-rampant-science-proves-kindness-is-a-powerful-solution/?sh=4d642fb44bee