It’s about this time of year that Father Christmas is busy in his workshop and Christmas lists are arriving by the day. As for everybody else, we can await the annual socks and chocs festival, as desperate relatives search around for something to give that we will appreciate, and maybe even find useful.
If you’re stuck for ideas, we’ve put together a list of indispensable stocking fillers that are the perfect trinkets for business owners everywhere. Feel free to print out and leave on the kitchen table.
Notebooks
There’s an app for everything these days, and a hundred different ways of note taking, managing tasks and handling information. However, the most successful business owners often argue that there’s nothing better than pen and paper. Writing by hand helps us to better retain information and learn new concepts.
As well as note taking, journaling has also become increasingly popular and is a daily habit that can be shown to improve performance. You don’t have to write a huge amount but beginning or ending (or both) each day with your observations, gratitude’s and plans for the future focusses the mind on your goals and your activity.
Yes, you can use a supermarket spiral notebook if you wish, but why not write your plans in something worthy of them.
Moleskine books work particularly well as they are smart, and come in a variety of layouts with plain, lined or squared paper, depending on your preference. They have been available for over a century so you’ll have plenty of time to build up quite a collection.
https://www.johnlewis.com/browse/home-garden/stationery/notebooks-journals/_/N-1djf?sortBy=priceHigh
- Coloured Pens
To go one stage further, writing in colour is even more effective. We think better in colour, we remember better in colour and it’s not just children who need a new pack of pens at Christmas. In times gone by, the colour of your pen could signify your authority within an organisation. Blue was a standard colour whilst black was reserved for management, allowing people to easily tell how important a note was. These days however, notes are generally used for ourselves. Using different colours to separate to do lists, projects, categories and thoughts can not only help us better remember but also stimulate our thought process.
- Completed Stamp
There is nothing more satisfying than ticking off tasks that have been completed. So why not add to the feeling of achievement with your very own completed stamp. We give one of these to all our clients and all of them claim it has made a difference to productivity.
- A Water bottle
We all know that we should drink more water. Our brains are the first thing to feel the effects of dehydration and it can affect our mood, focus and concentration. It is also vital if we want a good night’s sleep. However, we are also supposed to be cutting down on our plastic use. Keeping a reusable bottle on your desk or as you go about your day makes you keep a track of how much you’re drinking. This one from Joseph Joseph even does the counting for you
https://www.josephjoseph.com/en-gb/dot-water-bottle
- A Kindle
A little more expensive than your average stocking filler, but a kindle is a must have for every business owner. We recommend reading a book a week if you are serious about growing your business. Continual learning and development is what makes the difference between a good business and a great one. However, your book shelves will soon be overflowing (unless you pass them on) if you continue at that rate. An electronic e-reader will easily fit into your bag or your pocket which means there is no excuse not to read, wherever you are.
- Audible Subscription
Reading books doesn’t have to be on paper or even on the kindle. Listening to audio books and podcasts can be an ideal way to learn whilst on the move, particularly if you have a long car journey every day. Audible have a range of subscriptions, depending on how many you plan to listen to each month, and often can be bought in conjunction with the book, which will allow you to either listen, or read, depending on the situation.
- Noise Cancelling headphones
Distractions can be a destructive force. The trend for open plan offices has its benefits, but it can make concentration difficult. The portable office also means we find ourselves working more often on planes, trains, coffee shops and anywhere else we can find. When you really need to get work done, some noise cancelling headphones are a huge help – even better if you can listen to some white noise or calming music. They are also a good signifier to those around you that you don’t want to be disturbed. Not to mention the podcasts and audio books you can listen to (See above)
- Portable Boost Charger
If you’re working on the move, there is nothing more frustrating than running out of phone battery in the middle of a busy day with nowhere to charge your phone. A back up booster charger can be a life saver in these situations. There are lots of the market so pick one with a good review.
- Some Inspiration
It can be hard to be positive all of the time, and every business owner will have ups, downs and crises of confidence; we all need a little prompt now and again. We love these cards from A School Of Life (https://www.theschooloflife.com/shop/confidence-cards-prompt-cards/). They contain a variety of affirmations and statements about confidence that you can grab in times of trouble. Confidence is not something we have, it’s something we learn and develop. Reading these cards out loud reinforces their message, taking you to bigger and better things.
- A Blank Frame
No matter how successful we are, or how big our company grows, we all need to be reminded why we do it, and what we are working towards. A visual representation of this where we can see it every day really helps to focus the mind. So, if something is important to you, frame it. This could be a photo of your family, an image of something you would like to do, or a place you would love to visit. You could even, with a larger frame, make a montage of everything that keeps you motivated and keep it directly in your line of sight.
We hope that you have a very Merry Christmas, and that Santa’s gifts help you have an even more successful 2019.
