New Year’s Eve is coming and with that, a year full of opportunities begins. Many of us start the new year by making new year’s resolutions, to achieve success in our lives. Including at work and in our careers. So, how can we effectively maintain and accomplish these resolutions?

The issue is that people often set unrealistic expectations about these resolutions and end up getting frustrated and giving up. It is therefore crucial that our resolutions are achievable. To accomplish them, we need to create habits. Also, we must set short term goals, because it is easier to track and obtain the results faster, which will motivate us. These goals need to be organised in a list, so they seem more real and we can take a look at the bigger picture.

But more than making a list, it is crucial to think deeply about what our goals/resolutions are. One of the most important things in our lives is to achieve and improve our work-life balance. So, this resolution must be part of our list. We must spend enough time with our loved ones. But also, it is vital to have some fun and relaxing time. Finding a hobby or even doing volunteer work can help. We must compromise ourselves to spending time alone, improving our skills and learning something different. This will not only help our work performance, but it will equally make us feel more relaxed and rested.

Our personal life can really impact our career. However, if we want to improve our work, we have to make resolutions about it. We can start by working on our active listening, in our communication skills and showing appreciation. These are effective ways to improve our skills, abilities and work performance.

In addition, we should also try to improve our work habits in the resolutions. For instance, starting by taking breaks at work, as it is an effective way to rest and reset. Simple things like standing up and stretching our legs, taking the stairs instead of the elevator or even eating healthier at lunchtime can help us achieve a better professional life.

Improving our professional life also includes strengthening our network by making new contacts, improving relationships with old ones and attending network events. We have to keep in mind that our network is not only useful when we are unemployed. It is vital to know the business, the market and to get new ideas/advice, etc. But within the company, we must also try to deepen our relationships with our co-workers. For this to happen, one should promote activities outside of work, like team lunches or sports events. Trying to know our co-workers is crucial if we want to have a good working relationship with them. So, we must help them and celebrate their victories/accomplishments when they happen.

At work, we all have different goals and expectations. Thus, it is normal that when we think about our New Year’s resolutions for our careers; they are very diverse. Our resolutions can include almost anything. We can set them on a personal level (in the context of work), about our relationships with the workforce or even about the organisation itself. As we have seen, resolutions can be very effective in improving our performance at work.

References:

1. 3 New Year’s Resolutions Successful People Make (and Keep), December 2018, Inc.
2. The Ten Best New Year’s Resolutions For Your Career, December 2018, Forbes
3. Top 10 Resolutions for Your Most Successful New Year, November 2019, The Balance Careers